Theft of RR property

YORK Three York residents were arrested early Friday morning for stealing railroad crossing signs and 55 railroad spikes, according to a York County Sheriff’s Office report.

Police say Jonathan Ross Ashley, 29, Benjamin Scott Bolin, 19, and Kelin Michael Garrett, 20, were found near Old York Road and Maplewood Drive with the signs and spikes in the trunk of a car.

An officer spotted Garrett standing beside the car on the side of the road, the report states.

Garrett told police he pulled over because his friend was sick and was in the woods, according to the report.

The other two were questioned after coming out of the woods, and gave police conflicting stories, the report states.

Police say they found a pair of channel locks in the woods and could see two hammers in the back floor board of the car. Officers searched the car “based on reasonable suspicion.”

They found four sets of Norfolk Southern railroad crossing signs, one state sign, one private railroad crossing sign and 55 railroad spikes inside the car, the report states.

Ashley and Bolin are being held at the Moss Justice Detention Center awaiting bond with charges of trespassing on railroad tracks, interference with traffic controls and petty larceny. Garrett is also awaiting bond at the detention center facing charges of interference with traffic controls.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/24/3476016/3-york-men-accused-of-stealing.html#storylink=cpy

Always a good idea to credit the source:

http://www.enquirerherald.com/2012/08/24/2037498/3-york-men-accused-of-stealing.html

This is in York, SC.

That’s true, but actually I copied it out of the Charlotte Observer.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/24/3476016/3-york-men-accused-of-stealing.html

If they pulled those spikes in such a way that a derailment might have occurred, the charges should include attempted murder.

I may be hard-nosed about this sort of thing, but endangering other people’s lives isn’t among my roster of forgiveable sins. Drivers unfamiliar with the area NEED those railroad crossing signs, to warn them of life-threatenng conditions.

Kudos to the alert law enforcement agent.

Chuck

Here I was thinking York, PA

Metal thefts are on the rise so people can support their “habits”. Local officials and scrapyards have been working together to limit drop offs of certain items and show ID when doing so.Hope no one got hurt due to these thefts.

stay safe

Joe

Couldn’t these guys also be charged with interference with interstate commerce?