By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A 32-year-old Del Rio man was arrested and charged with felony theft after he allegedly stole copper tubing from air conditioning units outside a local motel, police said.
Nickolos Joseph Haberek, 801 E. Ninth St., was arrested at 10:07 a.m. on Sept. 12 and charged with the offense of theft of material aluminum/bronze/copper/brass, a state jail felony, according to an arrest report released recently by the Del Rio Police Department.
In an affidavit filed in the case, DRPD Senior Officer Nadine Terrazas wrote she was dispatched to the Days Inn, 2005 Veterans Blvd., at 9:33 a.m. on Sept. 12, after police received a report about an unwanted person on the premises.
“Upon arrival, (I) made contact with (motel) manager Jessica Sells, who stated there was an unknown male subject with a shopping cart who had been stealing copper off their air conditioner units,” Terrazas wrote.
The officer reported the alleged theft of the copper had occurred “just a few minutes prior” to police being notified, and that the man was last seen walking south on Veterans Boulevard.
“(I) asked Sells if she had a description of the male subject. Sells stated the man was wearing all black and had a shopping cart. She advised (me) there was a second male subject with (the first man) wearing a white shirt and jeans. Sells advised (me) that one of the (motel) employees had a video of the subjects,” Terrazas wrote.
Terrazas reported she viewed the video and recognized the first man as Haberek “from prior law enforcement encounters.”
“(I) asked Sells if she wanted to pursue charges on the subjects if they were located, and Sells stated, ‘Yes.’ Sells valued each air conditioner at $600,” Terrazas wrote.
She wrote she notified fellow patrol officers that she was looking for Haberek, and he was quickly located near the intersection of Avenue H and Fifth Street.
“(I) responded to the area and saw that Haberek was wearing the same clothing items (as described). (I) was advised by officers that Haberek was seen near one shopping cart where he claimed he was attempting to gather up dogs that were loose. (I) saw the shopping cart contained the parts from the air conditioner (cooling coils) that contained the copper,” Terrazas wrote.
She wrote she took Haberek into custody for the offense of theft of material and noted she also issued him a criminal trespass warning.
Justice of the Peace Pct. 1 Jesse James Treviño set a bond of $3,000 in the case against Haberek.
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