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Posted on Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 10:58 a.m.

Police arrest man accused of taking steel from Fingerle Lumber Company in Ann Arbor

By Lee Higgins

A 39-year-old Detroit man was arrested Monday night after Ann Arbor police said an officer saw him taking steel from Fingerle Lumber Company on South 5th Avenue.

Police spokeswoman Lt. Renee Bush said the man was arrested about 8:35 p.m. after loading more than $2,000 worth of steel into a pickup truck.

The man was taken to the Washtenaw County Jail, where he is expected to be arraigned on criminal charges this afternoon.

Comments

RJA

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 6:02 a.m.

Great Job AAPD! I luv it when an officer is in the right place at the right time.

Sallyxyz

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 2:27 a.m.

I love Fingerle's and am saddened to hear of this theft. I'm glad the perp was caught. Another example of thugs from out of town coming into A2 and committing crimes. Many more crimes in recent years in A2 being committed by criminals from surrounding communities. Unfortunately, A2 is targeted as a place with relatively low crime and crimes of opportunity are increasing, as well as assaults and robberies.

djm12652

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 3:30 p.m.

that's what happens in a town known for it's victim mentality....easy pickins'

treetowncartel

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 2:09 a.m.

Whatever happened to the beat cop walking the streets and checking door handles?

djm12652

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.

treetown...ask the Maya about that...we haven't have a beat cop for quite a while downtown...tomorrow is the 1 year marker for the armed robbery of a downtown jewelry store...still no beat cops...oh wait, not enough on the patrol cops either...

Sallyxyz

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 2:29 a.m.

I think those days are gone. Kind of a Mayberry RFD approach of yesteryear.

Ace Ventura

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 11:20 p.m.

I hope they assign an officer to keep an eye on him around all those steel bars at the hogback hilton.

Gorc

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 9:30 p.m.

Vote for my comment if you beleive the bail amount the judge will set will be less than the value of steel that was stolen.

John Fingerle

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 8:59 p.m.

Fingerle Lumber Co. greatly appreciates the efforts of the officers involved in this matter. Thank you AAPD!

Stupid Hick

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.

Should I be surprised that nobody has commented that perhaps Ann Arbor wouldn't need to employ as many police officers, if only business owners would secure their property, or hire their own security guards? Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

Jeff Renner

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 3:06 a.m.

So, is this blame the victim again?

John B.

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.

No, you shouldn't. 'Personal responsibility' would have stopped the alleged thief from even attempting the theft.

Some Guy in A2

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 6:04 p.m.

@scioreader How often is it that fingerle actually has theft problems? One theft on occasion hardly makes for a pattern of problem behavior and hardly justifies needing to spend untold thousands in install/upkeep of a security system when locking their barns at night does a fine job of keeping honest people honest.

djm12652

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 3:26 p.m.

locking their barns has nothing to do with keeping honest people honest...locking their barns at night is to keep dishonest people out...

ScioReader

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 5:02 p.m.

When we moved to A2 over 20 years ago, I marveled how Fingerle's didn't need fencing because mid-westerners simply don't steal. Seems those days are gone, if they ever existed. Seems like Finerle's needs to invest in some decent security.

Bertha Venation

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 8:24 p.m.

Unless they're a midwesterner from Detroit.

Marilyn Wilkie

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 4:59 p.m.

According to what I was hearing on the scanner, the officer was watching as he loaded the truck then followed him as he turned west on Hill and south on Green and almost to Hoover before the guy spotted him and stopped. The "attempt" was more of a "did".

Brian Kitchin

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 4:59 p.m.

What gives him the right to own steel? Maybe the man was just setting the steel free so it could return to the ground. Maybe the man realized that he was entitled to the steel because he has not had the same opportunities to own steel as the previous owner. Maybe society has kept him from owning steel due to his race, gender or sexual orientation and he is just taking what is rightfully his?

clownfish

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 1:15 p.m.

I know I should be working, but this is fun... Maybe the guy should have bundled the steel and shopped it around as "copper like" "C" rated conduit, then split it up into small bits and peddled it as "AAA" rated Gold like material. Then, when the market crashed he could have asked for a cut in taxes due to business losses and the volatility of metal commodities markets, seeking a de-regulated system that would allow him to thrive while creating jobs, somewhere.

Hinges69

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 4:45 p.m.

Educated guess - There are steel racks that were dismantled and stacked - so it maybe "replacement value" not "scrap value" - either way - tresspassing and attemted theft - shame shame -

Hinges69

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 4:46 p.m.

"attempted" - oops...

Dot

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 4:37 p.m.

Who provided the value of the steel? Could have been a bunch of straps from containers that were to be recycled/sold for scrap, or new beams. Value matters in regards to the charges. I'd be looking for an outside appraisal on the "steal".

Dot

Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 4:19 a.m.

Hinges69 - "are you justifying the attempted theft if the steal were to be recycled/sold for scrap???" jump to conclusions much? seriously. this is what you read between the lines? reread. I said the "value matters in regards to the charges". steel is valued by weight and/or finished material.

Hinges69

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 4:48 p.m.

are you justifying the attempted theft if the steal were to be recycled/sold for scrap???

nickcarraweigh

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 3:23 p.m.

This place needs a pack of crazed beasts (genetically-modified cocker spaniels, maybe, or hydrophobic river otters or black-footed ferrets) to tirelessly patrol its perimeter. I seem to remember they lost $20,000 or more in decking material a year or two ago in a weekend heist. But the previous commenter was correct -- at current market value you would need a railroad car to carry off $2000 worth of scrap steel, and a railroad car might have drawn unwanted attention there on S. 5th. Ave. So, what kind of steel was it?

Craig Lounsbury

Tue, Aug 9, 2011 : 3:06 p.m.

what was the nature of the steel? steel studs? steel wrapping bands? steel...?