Man caught stealing copper wire said he needed it to support his meth addiction
LINCOLN COUNTY (KMOV.com) — A man was arrested after being caught stealing from a Lincoln County resident’s shed on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
28-year-old Nicholas Schell was found siphoning gasoline from a vehicle on a property located at the 700 block of Ridge Road when police responded to a call about a man stealing from a shed. Schell allegedly said he was stealing copper wire from the shed on the property because it was “old.” In addition to the copper wire, Schell was said to have stolen a Hitachi 10-inch compound saw from the shed.
The deputies searched his vehicle and found a bag of methamphetamine and the copper wire. Police say that Schell’s reasoning for stealing the wire was to support his methamphetamine habit and to afford gas for his truck which he also lives in.
Schell has been charged with Second Degree burglary, Stealing and Possession of a Controlled Substance, and has a bond set at $25,000 cash only.