Sounds like a mix up to me.

I've personally experienced this with junk scroungers myself. At work we accumulate lots of scrap iron from fixing the big equipment and cutting metal pipes.. etc. A couple time a year iron scavangers come in and ask to clean the place up. This last time, I walked out there and showed them the corner of our lot where the scrap is stored. They were told they could have everything in that corner -except- 4 track gear segments that were setting in our side yard ( near the back corner ). Those track gear segments bolt on to one of our bulldozer drive gears, and drives the underside of the track. They are big and heavy.. probably 100# each, and they are expensive.

He started loading stuff, and I saw him wave and drive out. Walking back there I looked for the gear segments.. and sure enough.. he took them. We eventually tracked him down, but after he sold the scrap. Seems he stold from 4 other contractors in the last couple of weeks as well. He's in jail now.. hopefully meeting lots of new 'companions' to keep him company on those long balmy prison nights in florida.

This case is virtually identical.. and is stealing.

Soundguy