$1,500 in Copper Wire Reported Stolen From Paragould Facility

PARAGOULD, Ark. — A Paragould Police Department investigation into stolen copper wire has led to a felony charge, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Cloyd Arnold Jr. is facing a charge of theft of property, a Class D felony, after police said they found a large quantity of black insulated industrial copper wire partially concealed under a tarp on May 7.

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According to the affidavit, officers were patrolling when they noticed the wire and contacted Arnold. Police said Arnold told officers someone had dropped the wire off at his residence a few days earlier, but he did not know where it came from. At the time, officers could not confirm whether the wire had been stolen.

On May 8, Paragould detectives were contacted by Nidec about stolen copper wire. The company reported two crates of copper wire had been stolen, once on April 30 and again on May 6.

A manager reviewed photos of the wire found at Arnold’s residence and confirmed it was stolen from the facility, according to the affidavit. The manager estimated the stolen wire was worth about $1,500.

Police said Nidec also provided surveillance video showing Arnold’s vehicle going through the gate on May 6 and loading the stolen copper wire. The affidavit also said Arnold was found to have scrapped some of the copper wire on May 4 and May 7.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Mugshot unavailable as of publication, check back; An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the arrest had been made. It has not been made as of 10:28 AM)