A Des Moines man was arrested for his alleged role in a copper wire theft and burglary at the Harvey Rock Quarry.
According to court records, on Friday, November 21, at approximately 8:04 a.m., the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a report from the quarry, located at 1488 Highway T25 in Harvey, stating that items had been stolen. Deputies found that approximately $20,000 worth of copper wire had been taken and that a gate had been cut to gain access while the plant was closed.
Investigators received a license plate number linked to a suspicious vehicle seen in the area earlier in the week. Deputies also discovered a broken taillight matching the vehicle description.
On Tuesday, November 25, law enforcement located the vehicle at a storage unit in Des Moines. Detectives observed 31-year-old Eric Aldridge at the unit with the door open, revealing copper wire stacked inside. Aldridge allegedly had a generator connected to a machine used to strip the insulation from the copper wire. A search warrant was executed to seize the items.
Aldridge now faces first-degree theft, a Class C felony, and third-degree burglary, a Class D felony.
