Ohio man allegedly steals 58-foot bridge from park, charged with felony theft

Suspect allegedly hired crane company to help load the bridge on to a vehicle

An Ohio man was arrested this week after taking things a bridge too far. 

David Bramley, 63, was charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing a 58-foot bridge last month from a park in Akron, Ohio. 

The bridge was sitting in a field on the outskirts of Middlebury Run Park when the community noticed that its deck boards were removed on Nov. 3. About a week later, someone had taken the entire structure. 

The stolen bridge is 58' long, 10’ wide, and 6’ high.  (Akron Police Department)

(Akron Police Department)

(Akron Police Department)

Bramley, who used to work in the Akron area, allegedly hired a crane service company to place the bridge on and off a vehicle, then drove it to Medina County, about 30 miles west of Akron, according to police. 

KENTUCKY SUSPECTS ARRESTED FOR STEALING FROM TORNADO VICTIMS 

Law enforcement performed a search warrant at that Medina County property on Friday afternoon and found the bridge partially disassembled. 

The location of the bridge in Akron's Middlebury Run Park.  (Apple Maps)

The bridge was originally taken down in 2003-2004 as part of a wetland restoration project and there were plans for it to be used in a Battered Women's shelter project, the Akron Beacon Journal reports. 

Bridge theft is a niche black market industry. 

Two Washington state men were arrested in October for allegedly cutting chunks of cedar out of the base of a bridge to resell under the table, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources. 

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An Indiana man was convicted in 2018 of scrapping an unused bridge and selling parts for more than $14,000, according to the Times of Northwest Indiana

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