NEW CASTLE, Pa.,None — Two brothers have been charged with stealing a New Castle bridge in order to sell the metal for scrap.
Police said that Benjamin Jones, 24, and Alexander Jones, 25, of New Castle used a blowtorch to break up the 50-foot long by 20-foot wide Covert's Crossing Bridge sometime between Sept. 27 and Oct. 5.
They face felony charges of criminal mischief, theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
According to the criminal complaint, the brothers sold 31,000 pounds of steel grate and I-beams and received $5,179 for the scrap or approximately 16.5 cents per pound.
They were arrested after the recycling company contacted police.
The privately owned and rarely used Lawrence County bridge was in a wooded area along a railroad line about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh.
According to the criminal complaint, Alexander Jones told a recycling company employee that he had permission to carve the bridge for scrap, and then showed photos of the bridge that were on his cell phone.
"It's something you don't expect to lose," New Castle Development Co. spokesman Gary Bruce said. "It's hard to understand why someone would put in that much effort."
Bruce said the 31,000 pounds sold as scrap doesn't represent the entire weight of the structure, and the company plans to rebuild but not immediately.
The replacement will cost approximately $100,000.
Previous Stories: October 6, 2011: Bridge Worth $100K Stolen In North Beaver Township
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