Sep. 17—Two men accused of stealing copper pipe from an East Side business are wanted by the New Castle police, and a third alleged accomplice is in custody.
Police charged 33-year-old Quayshan Toraan Michlich of Harbor Heights apartments, Keith Richard Palmer Jr., 42, of West Lincoln Avenue, and William Russell, 57, of New Castle and formerly of Pittsburgh, after they reportedly were seen Sept. 9 walking with bags of stolen copper pipe, according to a criminal complaint.
Police were called to the 1500 block of Frew Mill Road regarding three men who appeared to be carrying numerous bags from an industrial building and yelling at traffic going past, the report said.
Police approached a man, later identified as Russell, sitting in the grass with about five duffle bags containing copper pipe, and the other two males were speaking with a city officer, the report said. They said Russell gave them a false name of William Thomas. Russell told one officer he was walking and found the bags in the grassy area near the road and he took possession of them and kept walking. He said he did not know the other two men, one of whom police learned was Michlich, according to the court papers.
Police reported Williams denied entering the industrial property. He also told police he did not have any form of identification on him, police said. They reportedly found a wallet in his possession with a driver’s license confirming his name. They learned he was wanted on two active bench warrants from the Lawrence County courts and another active warrant from the New Castle police.
The other officer released the two men. The caller told police she\ witnessed the three men jumping over the fence from inside the property while carrying the bags with the copper piping, police said. She said they were taking turns carrying the larger bags.
Items confiscated included two backpacks, two duffle bags and a knapsack containing sections of copper pipe, a metal cord, and a reciprocating saw.
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Michlich and Russell each are charged with one felony count of criminal trespass and misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving stolen property. Russell additionally is charged with false identification to police.
Russell was arraigned by District Judge Melissa Amodie, who confined him to the Lawrence County jail on a $14,000 bond, in addition to his incarceration on his bench warrants. He also was arraigned on theft-related charges from the city police warrant dating back to 2021, and Amodie set an additional jail bond of $5,000.
Warrants has been issued for Michlich’s and Palmer’s arrests.
The police released them from the scene, pending further investigation and video surveillance, according to police chief David Cumo. Russell was arrested on his warrants.
Palmer additionally remains wanted on a warrant for burglary-related charges in connection with the reported theft of a television at Vista South Apartments in January, and on a bench warrant from the courts from last year.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty or adjudicated in court.
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