In the early morning hours of Monday, November 24, 2025, in Northeast Philadelphia, a large theft of frozen meat took place in a parking lot at Red Lion Road and Norcom Road, where a truck driver awoke to find masked individuals removing pallets of beef from his trailer. According to CBS Philadelphia, the incident occurred around 2:00 to 2:15 a.m. near the Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The thieves were operating across four separate vehicles and made off with four pallets of frozen meat before fleeing the area.
The driver, identified as 55-year-old Kurt Landry, had been hauling frozen beef from Tyson Foods in Nebraska and was scheduled to deliver the load to Quaker Valley Foods around 5 a.m. He was asleep when the theft began. Landry said he woke up after hearing the refrigerated unit on the trailer repeatedly going “up and down” and changing sound, and also feeling the truck and trailer moving. When he pulled back the curtain from inside the cab, he saw four vehicles positioned behind the trailer and multiple people removing items from it.
Landry exited the truck with a baseball bat, which caused the suspects to run off and drop some of the frozen meat and boxes across the parking lot. According to police, he reported that 10 to 12 people had been actively taking meat from the trailer during the incident. After the suspects escaped, pieces of frozen beef and scattered packaging remained on the ground, and police said the truck had been damaged.
Authorities have not released any descriptions of the suspects or the vehicles involved. Officers are reviewing surveillance footage from the surrounding area in an effort to gather additional information. Police also stated that this theft was one of two cargo theft incidents reported over the weekend in Northeast Philadelphia.
Cargo theft remains a persistent issue in the city. Northeast and South Philadelphia are recognized as hotspots for targeting long-haul truck drivers, particularly when they are parked overnight and asleep. Stolen items have included televisions, liquor, crab legs, and other goods. Police reported that cargo thefts more than doubled from 2021 to 2022, with more than a couple of hundred cases occurring annually since then.
Truck drivers passing through Philadelphia frequently express awareness of these risks. Driver Jerry Clayton said his company provides training, notices, and bulletins about high-risk areas, specifically mentioning Philadelphia. He also described using flashing red and blue lights on his dashboard while parked overnight, stating that criminals tend to quickly move on when they see the lights without checking their source. Another driver, Insan Rumdalirai of Erie, Pennsylvania, said he drives in a team so one driver can stay inside the truck to prevent theft.
Food-related thefts have occurred repeatedly throughout the year. In July, more than 40 boxes of meat were stolen from a truck in the Bustleton neighborhood while the driver was still inside. In March, dozens of pounds of Alaskan salmon and Pacific cod were stolen from a refrigerated truck. In September, pallets of crab meat valued at approximately $42,000 were stolen in South Philadelphia. Police said that last Wednesday, thieves also stole roughly 600 pounds of pork valued at about $3,500 from another semi-truck. It remains unclear whether the same individuals were involved, as many members of a prior theft crew are under indictment.
Earlier this summer, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office participated in a task force that dismantled several theft rings connected to food stolen from semi-trucks. Authorities said that the total value of the truckload recovered through that operation was $70,000.
Police reported no injuries connected to Monday morning’s theft and encourage anyone with information to contact the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-8477.
