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VALLEY — Long-time Badcock & More employee Tristan Flournoy took it personal when someone stole his delivery truck on Saturday, Jan 2. He kept a keen eye for it everywhere. This past Monday found it parked outside Kroger in Lanett. It had been painted gray, but Flournoy knew the truck well enough that a new paint job couldn’t hide from him a vehicle he knew so well.

He called 9-1-1 to get in touch with Lanett police. He told them his suspicions and officers were on the scene in minutes. They got there just as two suspects were leaving the parking lot at Kroger and heading north along Gilmer Avenue. On the other side of the Lanett Mill/Lanett Bleachery & Dye Works site, the truck pulled over at a convenience store on the corner of Gilmer and First Street. The officers pulled in behind them, determined that the truck had been stolen and arrested the two men in the truck.

Valley Police Chief Tommy Weldon talked about the incident at Monday’s meeting of the city council.

He described it as a good news story and credited an alert employee for spotting the stolen truck earlier in the day.

“We thank the Lanett officers for stopping the truck and placing the two subjects into custody,” he said.

“We were shocked the truck was found so soon after it was stolen,” said Angie Alexander of the Valley Badcock store.

She and her husband, Rob, are the local Badcock dealers.

“We thought that someone had driven off the interstate to steal it and were miles away by now. We had no idea it would still be in this area,” Alexander said.

“Tristan did a great job in finding the truck,” she added. “Even though it had been painted, he recognized enough details with that truck he knew it was ours and called police.”

Flournoy has been with the Badcock store for 11 years.

“He’s our longest-serving employee, and always does good work,” Alexander said. “My husband, Rob, said that he’s a great guy and that we need to take care of him.”

The loss was fully covered by insurance. For now, the gray truck is in possession of the Lanett Police Department.