The giveaway was postponed because the entire shipment of the 18,000 bobbleheads was stolen, making it one of the more unusual incidents of cargo theft, which was rampant in 2023 and continues to trend upwards this year.
“We were shocked to be a victim of cargo theft, and we are working closely with local and federal authorities on the investigation,” The team's President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin said in a statement. “While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be in attendance as our guest at tonight’s game, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans."
RELATED NEWS: 2023 Rewind: Cargo theft exploded last year; expect the same in 2024
Coincidentally, at almost the same time, a shipment of bourbon and seafood was broken into as the trucker slept in his sleeper berth. That cargo theft occurred around 2:30 a.m. as the truck was parked on Caroline Road in Philadelphia.
Police chased a suspect on Interstate 95 and later found a car filled with boxes of frozen fish.
Investigations into both cargo thefts continue.
Cargo theft increased 57% in 2023 over the year before. At least $130 million in freight was reported stolen last year, and the pattern continues this year.
