Police have arrested and charged a man in connection with the unusual theft of a bridge from an Ohio park.
David Bramley, 63, of Sharon Township in Medina County, has been arrested and charged with Felony Theft, according to a December 20 statement from the Akron Police Department.
The charge was issued in connection with the theft of a bridge from Middlebury Run Park in Akron in November.
From Akron Police:
The pictured 58’ long, 10’ wide, & 6’ high bridge was formerly installed at Middlebury Run Park. When a wetland restoration was done there it was removed and stored in a field on the west side of Seiberling St. (behind the Harwick Standard Corporation). On November 3rd, it was discovered that someone had cleared brush around it and removed the treated deck boards. On November 11th, the entire structure was gone.
An investigation into the missing bridge was initiated, and officers received “several tips” that were critical to the case.
Based on the investigation, Bramley was identified as a person of interest.
Akron police continued to investigate and discovered the bridge, partially disassembled, during the search of a property in Medina County.
Police say that Bramley, who formally worked in the Akron area, paid a local trucking company for a crane service. The crane was later used to place the bridge on and off a vehicle that transported it to the Medina County property.
Authorities are working to transport the bridge back to Akron.
Police did not provide any information on why Bramley stole the bridge.