For the second time in less than a week, authorities reported that a fuel distribution truck was stolen in Lancaster County.

Lancaster city police said Tuesday that a Heating Oil Partners fuel truck containing an undetermined amount of diesel fuel was missing from a lot near Manheim Pike.

The news followed a report Friday that a truck loaded with more than 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel was stolen in Denver Borough.

Police said the Heating Oil Partners, or HOP, truck was taken from 1117 McKinley Ave. — which is adjacent to Manheim Pike in Lancaster — sometime between 11:30 p.m. Monday and 5 a.m. Tuesday.

However, an employee at a company office in Morristown, N.J., said the HOP truck had been located and that about 7:30 p.m, company officials were en route to recover the vehicle.

The company did not disclose where the truck was found or provide any other details about the reported theft.

Lancaster police said Tuesday night the investigation is ongoing.

HOP operates a fleet of mobile on-site truck fueling tankers that distribute fuel to its customers' trucks in 10 mid-Atlantic states, according to its Web site.

The Web site also states that its mobile fueling trucks are equipped with Global Positioning System computers — tracking devices guided by satellites.

Anyone with information about the missing fuel truck is asked to call Lancaster police at 735-3300.

U.S. Homeland Security broadcast a national alert Jan. 11 after a diesel fuel tanker truck was stolen from Leffler's Oil, 403 N. Sixth St., Denver.

Police continue to search for that truck, which was stolen sometime between 4 p.m. Jan. 4 and 6:30 a.m. Jan. 7, officials said.

The 1992 International rig, valued at $25,000, was loaded with 1,029 gallons of highway diesel fuel. The fuel has a retail value of $3.50 per gallon, officials said.

East Cocalico Township police are investigating. Anyone with information on the Denver theft should contact police at 336-1725.

E-mail: pburns@lnpnews.com