A citizen tip resulted in two men being arrested on charges they were stealing steel beams and trusses worth $300 from outside a Shore Road home near Gilbert.
Dane Prescott Bolland, 20, and Aaron Mitchell Eagerton, 20, both of Lexington, each were charged with petit larceny, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
The two were arrested shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday when deputies – alerted by a tipster – sped to the house and found the two on the site.
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Steel beams and other building materials were in a pile outside the home.
The suspects have been released on bond from the Lexington County Detention Center.
In recent years, metal thefts have been in the news as unemployment skyrocketed and people have learned they can make good money by selling metal – their own or stolen – to junkyards. Also, the price of metals has risen on world commodity markets during the recession.
Last year, in response to vandalism of hundreds of home, business and church air conditioners to get copper, state lawmakers made it tougher to resell copper and other non-ferrous metals to scrap metal dealers.
This year, a bill is pending before the state Senate that would make it more difficult for car thieves to sell stolen vehicles to scrap metal dealers. Right now, thieves have an easy time selling older stolen cars to scrap dealers because they don’t have to show a title and the dealer can immediately destroy the stolen car and make a profit.
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