Church & scrap yard help bust suspected copper thief

LITTLE ROCK, AR - A suspected Little Rock copper thief caught in the act trying to sell stolen property. A scrap yard and church worked together to make the arrest.

There is not much left of air conditioning units at the Awareness Center International at 9th and Pine in Little Rock. Pastor L.E. Briggs says thieves have hit the facility twice this week.

"Senseless, heartless, especially for anyone to steal anything but to hit churches," Briggs says.

To try and stop it, Braggs began marking units with initials.

"And even though the units are marked with purple spray paint with the letters “ACI” it did not stop thieves from trying to take other air conditioning units.

Recognizing those spray-painted initials on Thursday, Ted Tedford with Sol Alman Co. Scrap Metals stalled the attempted seller, identified as 22-year old Savion Hogan.

"This fella brings it in, puts it on the scale and its right there in front of us," Tedford says.

So Tedford called the church who then called Little Rock Police.

"He (Hogan) seemed a little surprised but he didn't seem real concerned," Tedford says.

LRPD officers arrested Hogan on Sol Alman Scrap Metals property Thursday morning.

"To catch these guys and get them off the street is great," Tedford says.

But it's far from the end of the story for the church. Each damaged unit costs approximately $8000, each destroyed for about $50 in copper and aluminum scrap.

Braggs feel like an expert now, and he has advice for other churches

"Security and protection as best you know because we may have caught him but there are others out there doing the same thing," Braggs says.

But with that extra step it stopped at least one suspected copper thief.

"With the church's initials there's no doubt who it belongs to," Tedford says.

Savion Hogan was charged with two felony counts of theft of property.

Hogan pleaded guilty to felony breaking and entering Pulaski County circuit court in February. Hogan received no prison time, instead getting probation.