Man charged with stealing fire engine

St. Mary’s County authorities arrested a Mechanicsville man on Nov. 2 and have charged him with felony theft after a fire engine owned by a volunteer company in southern Prince George’s County was stolen and driven before it broke down.

Zachery Albert Talbert, 28, was arrested after the vehicle’s engine sustained damage and stopped near the intersection of Three Notch Road and Friendship School Road in Mechanicsville.

According to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, engine fluid was found throughout the engine compartment and on the roadway.

According to court documents Deputy Glenn Knott, Talbert said he was with the Brandywine Volunteer Fire Department and was assigned to the warehouse. Talbert explained that a man wearing a fire department shirt told him to “take fire engine number 401 for a ride.”

As Talbert was leaving the fire department, another member saw the vehicle traveling on the other side of the road and called a deputy chief, “who said the truck had been stolen.” The deputy chief told the volunteer to call the police and follow the truck.

The truck Talbert is alleged to have stolen is a 1987 Hahn fire engine that had been retired from active service.

In an official statement, department officers stated the incident is troubling.

“Operating a large, heavy emergency vehicle in an irresponsible manner on public roadways creates a serious danger to other motorists, pedestrians and the general public,” the statement reads. “What began as a theft of department property could have easily resulted in a far more tragic outcome. The fact that apparatus has been retired from active service does not diminish its historical or sentimental value to our organization.”

The company called the defendant’s actions “disappointing and infuriating.”

In addition to theft, Talbert is charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and malicious destruction of property. On Nov. 3, Talbert posted an $8,000 bond and was released.

A district court hearing on the charges Talbert is facing is scheduled for Dec. 22.