Man held in Atlantic County jail facing burglary and theft counts

Quite frequently, when talking about burglary, we tend to think of someone breaking into a home and stealing valuables, like jewelry or electronics. However, the truth is that a person can be charged with burglary after stealing materials out of an unoccupied home.

Right now, a Mays Landing, New Jersey, man is being accused of burglary and theft tied to two break-ins where copper was stolen from two unoccupied homes. At this point, the 30-year-old is already in the Atlantic County jail on unrelated charges.

According to Vineland police, the first theft related to copper took place back in March. The copper was reportedly stolen from a home on Beechwood Drive. At the time, the home was unoccupied.

In April, according to authorities, there was another theft. This time, more copper was stolen from a foreclosed home several miles away from the first home on Panther Road. The copper was removed from the basement of the home.

At the time of the thefts, while police did not have any suspects named, they were able to obtain some evidence that was left behind at the scenes. This DNA evidence is what police are now using to tie the copper thefts to the 30-year-old Mays Landing man.

In looking at a case such as this one, where the man is already in jail on other unrelated charges, the theft and burglary counts should still be taken seriously as these types of crimes can lead to criminal consequences. Not only could this mean being locked behind bars, but the possibility of fines, probation and having theft and burglary on a criminal record should not be taken lightly.

This is why anyone facing any type of theft crime is urged to contact a criminal defense attorney.

Source: Press of Atlantic City, “DNA leads police to Mays Landing man in alleged copper thefts,” Oct. 12, 2013