Police catch scrap metal thief

Officers responding to a call from a worker at Tencate, located off Mount Olive Road, found a Chevy S-10 pickup parked near a scrap metal dumpster behind Tencate. There were items of scrap metal in the truck’s bed, the police report indicated, but the driver was not at the scene.

A worker called police just before 11 p.m. saying he’d noticed the truck when its lights shined through an office window, watched the vehicle, saw it drive off and later return, at which time he called police.

Looking around, officers saw Roper walking near Industrial Parkway and ordered him to put his hands up, to which Roper replied, “help me.”

According to the report, Roper claimed that he’d picked up a stranger who needed a ride, only to have the man force him to stop the vehicle, make him get out and beat him up, taking the vehicle. The report said Roper had bruises or abrasions on his face.

However, the man who called police positively identified Roper as the individual who had cased the property earlier, and arrested him. The report indicated that an interview at the police station convinced police that Roper was indeed the suspect.