In the quaint town of Akron, Ohio, where people went about their daily lives, an unusual theft occurred. Thieves, as we know, typically target items that can be quickly converted into cash. However, one daring thief in Akron had different ideas, choosing to steal an object much larger and difficult to sell on the black market: a bridge.
The bridge, located in Middlebury Run Park, was scheduled for some much-needed repairs. In November, local authorities removed the deck boards and began clearing overgrown brush along its path. They relocated the bridge to a field on the south side of the river, near an office building, intending to repurpose its parts for a women’s shelter project. Little did they know that they would never get the chance to give the old wood a new lease on life.
Just a few days later, on November 11, police were astounded to discover that the entire bridge had vanished from the field. Measuring 58 feet long, 10 feet wide, and six feet high, it was quite an impressive structure to have disappeared seemingly overnight. Both the residents of Akron and the local police were determined to find out what had happened to the missing bridge.
Hoping to engage the community in their search for the perpetrator, the police posted about the stolen bridge on social media. People expressed their shock and amazement in the comments, with reactions such as:
“The price of wood… I’m not surprised,” wrote one person, referring to the skyrocketing cost of lumber since the pandemic began.
“What house in the area has a ‘new’ old deck?!” queried another, suggesting that the thief might be hiding in plain sight.
Some commenters felt that the authorities were partly to blame for the theft, given the haphazard way the bridge had been stored. It was suggested that the culprit might not have even known they were stealing, believing instead that they were salvaging materials bound for the landfill.
The police narrowed their search, reasoning that the thief must have had access to heavy equipment in order to transport the bridge. Their investigation soon led them to the neighboring Medina County, where they discovered an operation involving 63-year-old David Bramley. Believing the wood to be abandoned, Bramley had rented a crane to move it to his property.
“Detectives discovered that Bramley… paid a local trucking company for crane service. The crane was later used to place the bridge on and off a vehicle that transported it to the Medina County property,” the police reported.
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In an update posted on Facebook, Akron police shared the following:
“Friday afternoon, around 2:45 p.m., a team of police officers converged on a property in Medina County and conducted a search warrant. During a search of the property, the bridge was found partially disassembled. Bramley was arrested and charged with Felony Theft. Members of the Akron Police Department work tirelessly every day to foster and strengthen relationships while enhancing public trust throughout the community. Utilizing the spirit of those partnerships, detectives, along with law enforcement personnel from neighboring jurisdictions, were able to help locate the stolen bridge and bring this investigation to a close. Arrangements are being made to ship the bridge back to Akron in the coming days.”
And so, the tale of Akron’s missing bridge came to an end, thanks to the diligent work of the local police force and the cooperative spirit of the community. The bridge may have been stolen, but it would soon be returned to its rightful place, ready to serve the people of Akron once more.
Source: AWM
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