Suspected Copper Thieves Apprehended in the Act

LIBERTY, January 23, 2012 – Around 3:30 AM on Monday morning an alert neighbor living near the abandoned schoolhouse near the intersection of Georgia and Sam Houston Streets in Liberty noticed two men on the property of the school and reported the suspicious activity to the City of Liberty Police Department.

As Corporal Frank Longoria responded to the location the caller remained in contact with dispatchers notifying them of the movements of the two men. Corporal Longoria requested assistance from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department who dispatched Deputies to the location to assist.

There is no electric power to the large building and law enforcement officers had to search the building by flashlight locating one of the men in a mechanical room also working by flashlight removing equipment parts and long piece of copper tubing placing what they could in large plastic bins for easier transport.

All the tubing and parts were taken by Officers and put in safe storage as evidence of this crime.

Apprehend at the scene and taken into custody were Kendall Randolph age 33 and James Robert Anderson, Jr. known for many years as “Jim Bob,” age 37 both of Liberty.

The exact charges against both of these individuals have yet to be determined and could range from Burglary of a Building to Copper Theft.

Both were transported to the Liberty County Jail.

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