Thursday, January 5, 2012
Men Questioned In Connection With Scrap Metal Theft
Two local men were detained Wednesday after an alert deputy found that they were likely taking scrap metal from a Leoma property without permission.
Reports filed through the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department show that a deputy patrolling Cedar Hill Road noticed that a trailer had detached from the suspects’ truck as they attempted to pull onto the roadway.
He stopped to speak with the men and noticed that three cast iron bathtubs and a metal kitchen sink were loaded onto the trailer.
He pointed out to the pair that numerous instances of scrap metal theft had been reported recently, and inquired about whether they had permission to remove the items from the property.
They stated that the property owner had told them they could remove the items. The deputy then obtained the men’s names and personal information and attempted to verify their claim.
The deputy noted that he was unable to make contact with the property owner, James R. Story, Jr., who was in Mexico at the time. He did speak to Story’s grandson, however.
He told the deputy that no one had permission to be on, or remove items from, his grandfather’s property. The caretaker then accompanied the deputy to the location where several bathtubs and sinks had been stored in a wooded area behind a shed.
When they arrived, however, they found that all of the items were missing. In addition, they found that the bottom of a roll-up door on the shop building had been damaged.
The caretaker reported that there had been ten bathtubs stored in that area, along with one sink. Loss and damages were said to total $10,550.
The deputy notified detectives with the department’s Criminal Investigation Division about the crime. Reports show that they made contact with scrap metal business in the area and learned that seven of the bathtubs had been sold to Thornton Scrap Metal.
Both men were located and brought in for questioning by investigators. At the time reports were filed charges were pending in connection with the thefts.
