Margarine still missing after stolen truck found

Authorities say a thief who slipped away with $50,000 worth of margarine remains at large even though the truck that carried the payload has been recovered.

The trailer was parked awaiting delivery to a Target warehouse in Cedar Falls when it was stolen Dec. 10 from a parking lot near Waterloo. It was found Dec. 15 in a parking lot more than 500 miles away in Fowler, Mich.

But the thief and the margarine are nowhere to be found.

Waterloo police Capt. Rick Abben says the theft was the latest in a series of semitrailer thefts in the area during the past 18 months.

He says the others included a trailer filled with beef jerky, one loaded with dog food and one carrying dental hygiene products.