‘It’s not right’: Police seek person responsible for taking train toy from park playground

By Ellie Nakamoto-White

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    WALWORTH COUNTY, Wisconsin (WDJT) — The Town of East Troy Police Department is asking for your help, as they believe someone may be behind the disappearance of a beloved toy at a public playground.

When crews tasked with replacing the equipment at the Jim Byrnes Memorial Park arrived for work earlier in the week, they noticed a red train toy that had been waiting to get reinstalled wasn’t anywhere to be found.

“When we were starting to dig holes to set it up, we noticed that we were missing a piece,” said Highway Dept. Superintendent Todd Scheel, who noted the toy is about two feet wide and two feet long.

That’s when they decided to notify the nearby police department.

“I got a call from the highway shop supervisor, saying we’re missing a train,” recalled Chief Alan Gorecki. “I drove the park and then I walked some of the areas where I thought, eh, maybe they threw it back here hiding, just trying to play a prank on us, but we weren’t able to come up with it.”

So, he turned to Facebook, posting about the theft on social media to get the word out.

Gorecki noted that while the toy had been placed to the side of a trail surrounding the playground area, “it was pretty obvious it was in good working condition.”

“If they thought it was set aside and gonna be placed in a trash, why not ask?” Gorecki said. “It’s just not right.”

Scheel agreed, adding that the park is a community hotspot for many.

“Seeing how many people use this park, I mean on a daily basis, people walking their dogs, people just out for a general walk,” Scheel said. “How could somebody come and take something for a little kid?”

Police confirmed they have security camera footage that overlooks the park and that a dark SUV could be a potential suspect vehicle.

“We are working on it and if we do come up with the plate, we are going to pursue that,” Gorecki said.

As for now? They’re hoping someone will return the toy to its rightful spot.

“You’re hurting everybody else by taking it,” Scheel said. “You’re taking some kid’s joy away.”

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