A 25-year-old Cedartown man has been charged with felony theft by taking after authorities say he was identified as one of two men who stole steel beams from a construction site on West Avenue.
According to a police report, officers were dispatched to 808 West Avenue, home of the former Zartic building, on the morning of May 31 in reference to a theft that had occurred the previous evening.
The property owner told investigators that he discovered three steel I-beams missing from an area near a loading dock where his crew had been performing renovation work. The owner reviewed surveillance footage and observed a white Chevrolet pickup truck pulling a trailer arrive at the property around 5:05 p.m. on May 30. The video allegedly showed two men loading the steel beams into the truck before leaving the scene.
Although the surveillance footage did not capture a license plate number, officers used the city’s Flock camera system and located images of a truck matching the description. Investigators reported that one image showed a steel beam visible in the trailer and identified a license plate registered to Thomas Wills of Cedartown.
Police traveled to Wills’ residence on Green Briar Drive and interviewed him after advising him of his Miranda rights. According to the report, Wills initially denied being involved and claimed he had been in Carroll County at the time of the theft. He later stated that he operated a scrap metal business and had been called to pick up a piece of steel found in his front yard.
Investigators compared the truck parked at the residence to the vehicle seen in the surveillance footage and noted several matching characteristics, including a front tag, toolbox, black wheels and visible damage to the truck bed.
As officers informed Wills he would be arrested, the report states he acknowledged that the trailer and steel beams were located in his backyard and offered to return the material. Officers recovered the trailer and the three steel beams, which remained loaded in the trailer in a manner consistent with the surveillance footage.
The victim told police he still wished to pursue charges despite the recovery of the beams. He estimated the replacement value of the stolen steel at between $1,500 and $1,600 and said the beams were intended for use in completing ongoing work at the building.
During the investigation, officers also identified a second suspect, James Parris, who was reportedly found at the residence. According to the report, Parris admitted he had been with Wills while loading the trailer. Police further stated that Parris made comments indicating the pair had been watching the steel beams at the property for several days.
Both men were arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail. Warrants were obtained charging Wills and Parris with felony theft by taking.
