WATERVILLE, Maine — Two men suspected of stealing copper from an unoccupied house on School Street were arrested late Monday night, police said.
Anthony Perkins, 27, and Joseph Johnson, 25, both of Waterville, are facing multiple charges, including felony burglary and theft, according to Waterville Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey.
Police had gathered information that copper may have been stolen from a residence, Rumsey said, and when officers responded to the area shortly before midnight, the two men were on a nearby basketball court playing basketball, Rumsey said.
Officers kept close tabs on Perkins and Johnson, since it’s unusual for anybody to be playing basketball on a public court at that hour, Rumsey said.
When police checked a vacant residence, they discovered the men had entered via a bulkhead that led to a basement, and the lock on the bulkhead had been broken, Rumsey said. Copper that had been hauled out of the residence was nearby, he added.
The suspects had left the area just prior to police searching the residence, but Rumsey said officers caught up with them on a nearby street and learned Perkins had ditched a bag containing burglar’s tools.
In addition to the burglary and theft charges, Perkins and Johnson were also accused of criminal mischief and Perkins possession of burglar tools and taken to the Kennebec County Jail.
Bail for Perkins was set at $2,500 and Joseph’s at $2,000, Rumsey said.
