SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - Four Florida men were jailed Wednesday after being charged by Schuylkill Haven police with trying to steal copper from a borough business.
Patrolman David George said those charged were Livan Andre Garcia, no age available, of Hialeah; Raimel A. Garcia, 27, of Lake Worth; Eugenio Labra, 29, of Miami; and Cirilo L. Aguilar, 44, also of Hialeah.
George charged each of the men with theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy. They were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, each unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail.
George said the incident occurred while he was on patrol and called to Draka Cable USA, 1 Tamaqua St., for a report of a theft in progress.
George said a security guard at the company said four men were loading copper into the cab of a red and silver tractor-trailer. The guard, George said, reported watching the theft on security cameras while calling police.
Arriving at the site, George said he saw the tractor-trailer parked alongside the building with the passenger's side door open and four Hispanic men standing outside.
George said that when the four men saw him pull in they went back into the sleeper section of the truck. At that time, the officer said he drew his weapon, ordered the men out of the truck and onto the ground and called for backup.
Penn State University police arrived to assist and George said he ordered the four men to sit on the ground and produce identification.
One of the men, later identified as Livan Garcia, did not have identification on his person and was allowed to go back inside the truck to retrieve it. George said he went into the truck with the man in case he was going to retrieve a weapon.
Inside the sleeper area of the truck, where Livan Garcia went for his identification, George said there was a large amount of copper coil in plain view. The officer said there was also several other coils on the floor and bed, along with a lot of luggage.
George said the copper found inside the truck was the same copper as those outside of the truck and also the same copper that witnesses saw the men loading into the truck.
Police Chief Jeff Walcott said the men were making a delivery to the business and while there, committed the theft.
The copper the men tried to take had an estimated value of $1,500, the chief said.