ST. LOUIS – A man arrested in north St. Louis for allegedly violating curfew and stealing copper wire appeared in court on Wednesday.
According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s probable cause statement, the theft happened in the overnight hours on Tuesday, May 20, at the intersection of Lambdin and East Labadie avenues, in the city’s Greater Ville neighborhood.
Officers responded to reports of a suspicious person cutting wire at the intersection. One officer at the scene said he arrived to find Kevin L. Howard, 62, with tools in his hands and tampering with a downed power line.
Police said Howard told the officers that Ameren Missouri allowed him to scrap the wire. Police contacted an Ameren representative, who confirmed the utility company does not allow citizens to tamper with or scrap any downed wires. Howard was then taken into custody.
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Howard with stealing – $750 or more and first-degree property damage. Howard was released Wednesday on personal recognizance. He was ordered to appear in court on Friday, June 20, for a hearing.