Trucker beaten in liquor load heist

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A carefully planned heist has left a truck driver rubbing his bruised head while police officers search for two robbers. The driver was pulling a 53-foot trailer loaded with about 1,250 cases of liquor to National Wine and Spirits, an alcohol distributor.

The National Wine and Spirits Indianapolis facility is located at 700 West Morris Street. The company's Web site boasts it's the largest distributor of wine and spirits in Indiana and Michigan.

The truck driver, 54-year-old Richard Miller, was carrying a full load. He wasn't scheduled for unloading until morning, so he decided to get some sleep. About midnight, someone knocked on the door of his cab.

"He got up, answered it. He said, basically, he was attacked by two black males. Basically, they beat him until he was unconscious," said Sgt. Matt Mount of IMPD.

The robbers then threw Miller inside an empty trailer. He awoke to find his truck was there, but thieves had attached the trailer full of liquor to their own truck and left.

A National Wine and Spirits employee called 911.

The employee told a 911 operator, "He was parked back in the back and just got robbed and beat up and they took his load. And he's sitting here right next to me and he's handcuffed and got hit in the head."

Police acknowledge the thieves carefully planned the heist.

"Being aware of when loads are coming in and having a vehicle there that they could attach it to, to take it out," said Sgt. Mount.

Police speculate that the robbers may have watched the establishment, noting when truckloads of valuable liquor arrived, preparing to make their move.

Asked if it was an "inside job," Sgt. Mount said, "You know, in any type of investigation you can't rule out any type of possibility. There's a possibility that somebody inside had the information, so that has to be looked at."

Police acknowledge the robbers could be anywhere at this point, but they want motorists to be on alert. The truck has Kreil-Kamp painted on the side. If you see it, call police.

As for the trucker, he was treated at Methodist Hospital and released. He said he's been trucking for years and nothing like this has ever happened to him before. He said besides being embarrassed, he feels fine.