Police have arrested a 33-year-old Kirkwood man who allegedly stole 54 spools of copper wire from an elementary school construction site in October.
Gregory J. Temple, of the 100 block of Reather Road in Kirkwood, was charged Thursday by West Lampeter Township police with felony counts of theft and burglary for taking spools of wire worth more than $13,000.
Temple's arrest on the charges comes seven months after he eluded police who observed him driving away with the wire, according to a police narrative of events.
On Oct. 5, an officer on patrol in Lampeter near an elementary school being built on the Lampeter-Strasburg school campus, 1700 Village Road, noticed a blue pickup truck leaving the construction site, according to police.
When the officer stopped the truck, the driver fled on foot, leaving the officer and spools of copper wire behind, police said.
A short time later, another officer saw a man run out of some bushes and jump into the back of a pickup truck parked at the Turkey Hill Minit Market at Lampeter and Village roads. When approached by police, the man again fled on foot, outrunning the officer, police said.
A subsequent police investigation pointed to Temple as the suspect and charges were filed against him April 30.
He was arrested Thursday and arraigned before District Magistrate Maynard Hamilton before being committed to Lancaster County prison in lieu of $15,000 bail.
The wire belonged to Leer Electric Inc., of Dillsburg, and was returned.
Staff writer Chad Umble can be reached at cumble@LNPnews.com or 481-6031.
