One Alexandria man and three Maryland men face felony theft charges after being arrested for allegedly stealing approximately $100,000 in copper piping from the Inova Alexandria Hospital at Landmark construction site, according to a police search warrant affidavit.
Around 9 p.m. Saturday, April 11, a construction supervisor at the site called the Alexandria Police Department to report that the lock on a gate leading into the construction site had been cut and that more than $10,000 in tools had been stolen in the early morning hours of April 5. The construction manager later reported that more than $10,000 in tools had also been stolen the previous night, April 10.
An APD officer responded to the site and found four suspects wearing face masks, construction vests and dark clothing throwing copper piping into a U-Haul truck, according to the recently released search warrant affidavit.
“All four subjects were detained and arrested,” APD said in the search warrant affidavit. “Officers observed four suspects dressed in dark clothing, all wearing reflective vests, throwing materials consistent in appearance with copper piping from an upper floor of the site to the ground.”
The incident occurred just days before local and regional leaders gathered topping-out ceremony for the massive hospital project on April 13.
The suspects — an Alexandria man and three men from Laurel, Columbia and Suitland, Md. — were charged with grand larceny, larceny with intent to sell, unlawful entry, concealing their identities with masks and conspiracy to commit grand larceny. They were released on bond. Their preliminary hearing is May 20, according to court records.
APD said the suspect who rented the U-Haul truck admitted to the theft after being read his Miranda rights and also admitted to stealing from the site the night before, on April 10.
“Four suspects were seen on the second floor of the construction site throwing copper off the second floor towards where the U-Haul was parked,” according to the search warrant affidavit. “Clark Construction confirmed that the suspects were attempting to steal approximately $100,000 worth of copper from the site and that they did not have permission to be on the property.”
