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Sebring Man Charged With Copper Wire Thefts

COPS: HE CUT POWER CORDS TO HOME DEPOT VENDORS

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By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: October 7, 2008

SEBRING - A Sebring man was free on $4,000 bail Tuesday after being arrested in connection with the theft of electrical wiring to several vendors at The Home Depot in Sebring.

Mikkel Lee Rowell, 27, of 709 Golfside Drive, or 112 Red Pine Drive, Sebring, was charged with three counts of criminal mischief $200 or less, two counts of petty theft, one count of grand theft, trespassing, possession of burglary tools with intent to use and loitering or prowling.

It was about 4:32 a.m. Monday when sheriff's deputies were called to The Home Depot at 2303 U.S. 27 N., in Sebring, about a theft complaint.

"An employee going in to work (at about 4 a.m.) saw him out front, carrying a bucket which was Home Depot property," said Sheriff's Lt. Tim Lethbridge, speaking of Rowell.

She saw the man go behind the Twisted Dog hot dog stand and then behind a Coca Cola vending machine, then he walked south and she lost sight of him.

The employee noticed that the electric cords to both the hot dog stand and the vending machine were cut and missing. She contacted the sheriff's office.

It was later discovered that a power cord to an Amerigas propane tank cylinder exchange machine was also cut and stolen. Also, a cord to a refrigerator was cut and stolen.

Sheriff's Deputy Scott Williams and his K-9 partner Boss located him behind Brewsters Coffee House at 1905 U.S. 27 N., at Thunderbird Road, Lethbridge said.

He was charged with loitering or prowling and was detained.

It was determined that Rowell resides at 112 Red Pine Drive, according to the arrest report. A van was located in front of that address with alleged stolen property inside.

Rowell's father, the registered owner of the van, was located. He told deputies that his son lives with him.

He told deputies his son did not have the keys and never drives the van, but said the copper tubing and wiring inside the van was not his property, the report stated.

Lethbridge alleged that its investigation has linked items found to the theft of copper tubing stolen from air conditioning systems at EJ's Café, Dominos Pizza, Scoops ice cream parlor, and State Farm Insurance.

The investigation may also link the suspect to electric wires cut off of a septic pump at Century 21 and a water pump at Badcock Furniture as well as previous thefts of wires cut off from the hot dog stand and Amerigas two weeks earlier.

How much money would the suspect have gotten for the scrap?

"It would have been a minuscule amount compared to the damage he was causing to the victims," Lethbridge said.

About .65 cents, one sheriff's detective estimated.

By comparison, the damages are in the $300 to $500 range per incident for the damage to the air conditioners, according to Lethbridge.

Joe Seelig can be reached at 863-386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com

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