4 men charged wtih theft of AC unit coils

Tag : in coils

OCALA - Police arrested four Ocala men on Thursday and charged themwith grand theft in connection with the removal of coils from sevenair conditioning units at Parkside Gardens Apartments.
Police officials say the men went to sell the coils at a recyclingcompany.
The construction manager told police that when they came to workthey noticed that the units were destroyed. Each of the units inthe apartment complex, at 621 N.W. Second St., was valued at$1,700, according to an Ocala police report.
A woman told detectives that she saw two men coming from the areaof the units with silver metal objects in their hands around 4:30a.m. Not long after that she saw two other men in a white NissanSentra pick up the two and drive off.
Police Officer Sean Young saw a car matching that descriptionparked at Reynolds Recycling Center with four men inside. One ofthe men, identified as 20-year-old Floyd McAllister, tried sellingthe coils.
Police brought the witness to the business and she identified themen. They were transported to the Police Department forquestioning.
Luis A. Escalera, 21, told Detective Jimmy Deas that he was in thearea during the time but didnt steal anything, according to thepolice report.
Next up was McAllister, who said he was in the area at the time ofthe incident, found the AC components with Escalera in the woodsand was going to receive $40 for the sale of the coils. Though heapologized for being involved in the incident, he told police hehad nothing to do with the theft.
Matthew K. Hawkins, 22, told Deas he was in the area but hadnothing to do with the thefts, according to the report. Robert L.Lockwood, 31, denied any involvement, saying he just gave theothers a ride.
The men were then taken to the Marion County Jail on charges ofgrand theft.
- Austin L. Miller