MAN ARRESTED FOR COPPER THEFT LEADS VCSO DEPUTIES TO HIS DOORSTEP

Good investigative work requires legwork. It’s never been truer than in the case of 300 pounds of stolen heavy gauge copper wire worth more than $1,000. Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies were hot on the evidence trail.

Deputies were called to 1310 West Church Street near DeLand early Friday morning. A truck containing the welding cable had been parked there at about 2 a.m. The wire was hung from a ladder rack, secured by a padlock and chain. When the owner came out to go to work later that morning he saw the metal chain holding the cable had been cut and someone had made off with the expensive bundle of copper wire. That “someone” left behind some valuable clues, including footprints which created a map which lead directly to the stolen cable.

Deputies followed shoe prints and drag marks made by pulling 300 pounds of wire

all the way to the front door of 212 ½ N. Sheridan Ave. No one was home.

Deputies got a search warrant. They found the victim’s welding wire as well as a pair of bolt cutters inside. The next day 30-year old Donald Edwards from DeLand was arrested and charged with grand theft. He admitted stealing the wire, saying he was “down on his luck” and resorted to crime.

But the case didn’t end there. While Edwards was behind bars a neighbor discovered his tool shed had been broken into and several items had been taken. Turns out the power tools and tool boxes reported stolen rang a bell with Sheriff’s investigator who had just completed the search of Edwards’ home and remembered seeing many of these same items inside the day before.

Once the victim positively identified his property, more charges were filed against Edwards and delivered to the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach. But it didn’t stop there. During the investigation of the grand theft case deputies reviewed the pawn shop database which revealed Edwards had pawned a fishing reel and binoculars recently.

Edwards admitted he had stolen those items from his landlord and sold them to a pawn shop.

Edwards is charged with two counts of grand theft, dealing in stolen property and burglary and violating the pawn brokers act. Among other items, the shoes which left the tell-tale trail have been taken into evidence. Edwards was wearing them when deputies arrested him on Saturday.