Police: Estimated 2 million dimes stolen from truck in Northeast Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are investigating after someone broke into a trailer containing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of dimes in Northeast Philadelphia.

The discovery was made around 6 a.m. Thursday in a Walmart parking lot on the 4300 block of Byberry Road.

Police on the scene say an estimated two million dimes, worth $200,000, were stolen. That's an increase from an earlier estimate of one million dimes.

A total of $750,000 worth of dimes were in the truck, police said.

Dimes were found scattered from the Walmart parking lot to Woodhaven Road.

Action News has learned the truck driver picked up the dimes from the Philadelphia Mint on Wednesday but then went home to get some sleep before a long drive to Florida.

"This is common practice - to pick up a load going to Florida and go home for the night, get to sleep, and get on the road in the morning," said Capt. Jack Ryan of Northeast Detectives.

The truck driver parked the big rig in the Walmart parking lot. When he came back Thursday morning he found the trailer door was open.

"They were trying to cross-load the dimes into other things. There are dimes all over the parking lot," said Ryan.

Police say cargo thefts have been an ongoing issue, both in the Northeast and in South Philadelphia, with all kinds of goods stolen.

"We've had lamb, chicken, TVs refrigerators, etc... alcohol," said Ryan.

There are cameras in the parking lot and investigators are working on a suspect description.

One bystander wondered what the thieves will do with all of those coins.

"I feel like if they try to go to the bank and cash it in, they're going to get caught. They'll be like, 'Well, where did you get all of these dimes from?'" said Jasmine Waters.