Lakeville cops tracking down railroad track thefts
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From : BrocktonEnterprise
Added: Oct 13, 2007
The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass. www.enterprisenews.com By Maureen Boyle ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER LAKEVILLE — Thieves looking for quick cash are prying steel plates holding railroad ties in place along one railroad freight line that cuts through town, raising derailment worries. "That is what is holding the rails on the ties," Officer Thomas Robinson said. "I would imagine if you pull enough of them, the rail is going to be really loose." Robinson said the thieves are pulling the railroad spikes out, then sliding the steel plates off the tracks. They are then selling the steel as scrap. Police recovered 200 of the steel plates so far and worry more have been taken from the freight track line that runs through Taunton, Lakeville and Freetown. "This is crazy," Robinson said. He said there are concerns that the thefts — if widespread — could pose a safety hazard. Robinson said he saw one freight train go by after the thefts were discovered and "the train was rocking on the tracks." Attempts to reach a representative from CSX Corp. of Florida, owners of the rail line, were unsuccessful. The railroad line thefts in Lakeville are the latest involving metals in the region. Copper thieves have hit homes and construction sites and there have been reports of aluminum being swiped. In Lakeville, someone broke into a home when the owner was out and stole the copper piping, Robinson said. The owner discovered the theft when he tried to turn on the hot water. The steel thefts came to light after Officer James Bowles spotted a man along the tracks off Malbone Street about three weeks ago with a load of the steel plates in a pickup truck. A week later, Bowles saw a second man in the same area with more of the plates in a truck. In the first case, Bowles was driving along the street when he looked over and saw a truck along the railroad bed about three-quarters of a mile from the road. He turned around, drove down the bed and saw a man standing next to a truck, Robinson said. The man told the officer he was picking up scrap mental. "He looked in the back of his pickup truck and saw all of these," Robinson said, motioning to the boxes of steel plates at the police station. About two weeks later, Bowles was again driving along Malbone Street when he saw another truck driving up the railroad bed toward him. Bowles stopped, asked the driver what he was doing and was told he was picking up scrap metal, Robinson said. Bowles then walked to the back of the truck and saw the steel plates, Robinson aid. George Demaranville, 44, of 3 Paul Ave., Freetown, was charged with trespassing on railroad property, larceny of more than $250 and malicious damage. Arthur Larrivee, 40, of 362 Snow Pond Road, Rochester, was charged with trespassing on railroad property, larceny of more than $250 and malicious damage.
Category : News
Added: Oct 13, 2007
The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass. www.enterprisenews.com By Maureen Boyle ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER LAKEVILLE — Thieves looking for quick cash are prying steel plates holding railroad ties in place along one railroad freight line that cuts through town, raising derailment worries. "That is what is holding the rails on the ties," Officer Thomas Robinson said. "I would imagine if you pull enough of them, the rail is going to be really loose." Robinson said the thieves are pulling the railroad spikes out, then sliding the steel plates off the tracks. They are then selling the steel as scrap. Police recovered 200 of the steel plates so far and worry more have been taken from the freight track line that runs through Taunton, Lakeville and Freetown. "This is crazy," Robinson said. He said there are concerns that the thefts — if widespread — could pose a safety hazard. Robinson said he saw one freight train go by after the thefts were discovered and "the train was rocking on the tracks." Attempts to reach a representative from CSX Corp. of Florida, owners of the rail line, were unsuccessful. The railroad line thefts in Lakeville are the latest involving metals in the region. Copper thieves have hit homes and construction sites and there have been reports of aluminum being swiped. In Lakeville, someone broke into a home when the owner was out and stole the copper piping, Robinson said. The owner discovered the theft when he tried to turn on the hot water. The steel thefts came to light after Officer James Bowles spotted a man along the tracks off Malbone Street about three weeks ago with a load of the steel plates in a pickup truck. A week later, Bowles saw a second man in the same area with more of the plates in a truck. In the first case, Bowles was driving along the street when he looked over and saw a truck along the railroad bed about three-quarters of a mile from the road. He turned around, drove down the bed and saw a man standing next to a truck, Robinson said. The man told the officer he was picking up scrap mental. "He looked in the back of his pickup truck and saw all of these," Robinson said, motioning to the boxes of steel plates at the police station. About two weeks later, Bowles was again driving along Malbone Street when he saw another truck driving up the railroad bed toward him. Bowles stopped, asked the driver what he was doing and was told he was picking up scrap metal, Robinson said. Bowles then walked to the back of the truck and saw the steel plates, Robinson aid. George Demaranville, 44, of 3 Paul Ave., Freetown, was charged with trespassing on railroad property, larceny of more than $250 and malicious damage. Arthur Larrivee, 40, of 362 Snow Pond Road, Rochester, was charged with trespassing on railroad property, larceny of more than $250 and malicious damage.
Category : News
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