BILLINGS- With only a few days left before deadlines for the Billings Parade of Homes, a home on the western edge of town was broken in to and vandalized.
Thieves pried open a side door to the garage where tools, some custom made copper piping and a large boiler were being stored, according to the builder, Granite Peak of Billings. These items were then packed up into a dump trailer sitting outside and driven off the property.
Granite Peak spent months on construction of the custom home near the intersection of 66th Street West and Grand Avenue.
Granite Peak co-owner Melissa Utley said she estimates the value of the stolen items at around $25,000 and said the theft would have been difficult because the back tires on the dump trailers were flat and there was a hitch lock in place.
Even with the setback, Utley believes builders will finish the home in time for the parade. Granite Peak wants to thank the community for stepping up and lending them tools to help keep their project on track, she said.
The fall parade starts Sept. 15-16 and lasts two weekends.
Billings Parade of Homes has showcased the best in Billings home builders for almost 30 years. The 2018 edition of the parade kicks off next weekend.
