A man has recently been arrested after what the police suspect was a month-long crime spree. The Colorado Springs man is accused of stealing brass and copper worth thousands of dollars from people’s yards. He now faces serious theft and criminal mischief charges stemming from these alleged crimes.
Over a month-long period, local police received about 150 reports of certain brass and copper items being stolen from the yards of residents. Most of these reports came from four specific Colorado Springs neighborhoods. The most common item that was stolen was a backflow sprinkler valve. The police estimated that the total damage from the spree was around $60,000, and approximately $20,000 worth of metal was stolen.
The report is not clear on how or why the man was tracked down and arrested. It is also unclear why he was under suspicion of being involved in this case, but he is now in police custody. While the authorities believe that the crime spree is over, the investigating officers have also stated that they do not believe the man worked alone. The officers are still investigating the case, and they are looking for more potential suspects involved in the crime spree.
As with any theft case, in order to obtain a conviction, evidence will likely need to be presented that places the suspect at the crime scene as well as proves that he actually stole the items. While this may present difficulty for the Colorado Springs prosecution, the case is further complicated by the fact that the officers do not believe that the man in custody is the only suspect. As the investigation into the backflow thefts continue, new evidence — and possibly new suspects — might surface that could potentially work in favor of the man’s criminal defense in a manner that may positively impact the resolution of the pending charges.
Source: kktv.com, Man Accused Of Backflow Thefts Arrested, Alyssa Chin, Jan. 16, 2014
