THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) - Around four o'clock Saturday morning, a Thomasville police officer noticed a suspicious vehicle pulling out of the Public Works building on Davenport Drive.
There were already extra patrols in this area because of recent copper and metal thefts. The officer stopped Aaron Joseph Lee, searched his car, and found stolen copper wiring.
Police says these patrols have helped them catch multiple suspects. "As well as the information we receive from the community, from citizens. It has been very helpful. We encourage citizens to continue to give us information they may have," said Public Information Officer Lt. Eric Hampton.
This is the third such arrest in the last week. These suspects target homes, businesses, and government buildings.
These air conditioner thefts not only put a financial burden on the victims, but every local tax payer as well.
Police say these thefts make it hard for them to stick to their budget, without affecting service. "That's one of the things we have been concentrating on as of late is trying to conserve our fuel. Conserve our riding. However when you have situations like this, you don't want to cheat the citizens," said Hampton.
Police say they'll continue to offer tips to property owners and continue their increased patrols hoping to prevent some of these crimes from happening.
Lee is charged with felony theft, destruction of government property, and possession of tools to commit a crime.
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