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
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.