MOULTRIE, Ga. — Two weeks after a thief drove off with a semi trailer full of furniture another large, big-ticket item — as in a John Deere tractor — was driven away from a Colquitt County farm.

This time, however, the story had a better ending. The tractor, along with another missing tractor of equal value, were recovered after the thief apparently got one tractor bogged down and then took the second one to pull it free before abandoning both.

Baker Farms, 561 Roundtree Bridge Road, reported on Thursday that the 2004 tractor had been stolen from a field on Booth Lane near Norman Park, according to Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Employees last saw the tractor at 5 p.m. on Wednesday and discovered it was missing at 7 a.m. the next day. The thief removed a sprayer attached to the tractor and drove it out of the field.

The theft is at least the third of a full-size farm tractor, all John Deeres — that have taken place in the past few years.

Baker Farms estimated the value of the stolen equipment at $40,000.

On Friday, Jerod Baker called police to report that a farm employee had found two tractors in a fire break at the back side of Booth Farm.

Baker also identified the other owner of the second tractor as Ben Hickey, who had not yet realized it was missing.

Police think that Hickey’s tractor had gotten stuck in mud and that Baker’s was used in an attempt to pull it out. Both the Baker Farms’ and Hickey’s tractor, also valued at $40,000, were returned to the owners.

In other reported thefts:

• Cliff Wingate, 3800 block Funston-Sale City Road, Doerun, reported Saturday the theft of a Honda Rubicon 500 ATV valued at $12,000.

Wingate told police the 2002 black four-wheeler was taken from a shed between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. that day. It has a wench on the front, large mag tires, lift kit and saddle bags.  

• Shane Everson, 800 block Bonnie Tuk Road, reported Saturday the theft of a 7-week-old blue nose pitbull puppy of unknown value.

A neighbor identified for Everson a woman who allegedly took the dog. Everson sent the woman a message on Facebook. After agreeing to meet Everson to let him identify whether it was his puppy, she failed to show.  

• Donald Savage, 300 block MacMassey Road, reported Thursday the theft of a radar detector of unknown make valued at $120.

Moultrie Police

• Kareem Stephenson, 400 block Seventh Avenue Southwest, reported Friday the theft of jewelry valued at $27,000 and $499 worth of electronics.

• Eric Grigg, 31, Leesburg, reported Friday the theft of a license plate valued at $25 from a 2001 Ford F-350 parked in the 600 block of Highway 133 South.

• Dollar General, 1908 First Ave. S.E., reported Friday that a pair of shoplifters stole an unknown amount of merchandise.

An employee told police she saw a woman place a pair of black curtains in a large purse, and when she noticed she was being watched placed the curtains on a shelf and walked outside. When confronted by employees she tried to get inside the brown Chevrolet in which she had arrived but it was locked.

The woman then went back inside where the man she arrived with was and started shouting at him and told him, “Let’s go.” The man then left in the car and the woman walked away from the store.

• Keisha Nowell, 800 block Third Avenue Northwest, reported Sunday that a male acquaintance stole her wallet valued at $5 and the $320 in cash inside.

Entering auto

Moultrie Police

• April Pope, 400 block Seventh Avenue Southwest, reported Sunday the theft of property valued at $34 from her 1997 Ford Mustang.