Ohio Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing 58-Foot-Long Bridge With A Crane

An Ohio man is facing felony charges for an unusual theft – he allegedly stole a pedestrian bridge.

The 58-foot-long, 10-foot-wide and 6-foot-high bridge was found partially disassembled Friday afternoon at a Sharon Township property in Medina County. Police have now arrested David Bramley, 63, for allegedly stealing the bridge using a crane.

Described as a Lego-like structure, the stolen bridge once stretched along the Little Cuyahoga River in Akron's Middlebury Run Park. It was taken down as part of a wetland restoration project in 2003-2004 and stored on the park property for future use. Police said there were plans to repurpose the bridge for another project; however, the structure vanished in November, Associated Press reported.

"On November 3rd, it was discovered that someone had cleared the brush around it and removed the treated deck boards. On November 11th, the entire structure was gone," the Akron Police Department wrote on Facebook on Dec. 11.

Police had earlier said they were not exactly sure what a thief might do with the structure. But with the right equipment, the structure could be taken apart and used for landscaping or an engineering project, officers said, The Hill reported.

The police department received several tips after an investigation was launched.

"Friday afternoon, around 2:45 p.m., a team of police officers converged on a property in Medina County and conducted a search warrant. During a search of the property, the bridge was found partially disassembled," the Akron Police Department said Monday.

Officials found that Bramley worked in the Akron area. He allegedly paid a local trucking company for its crane services. A crane was used to load the bridge onto a vehicle and transport it to another property in Medina County, police said.

Bramley was arrested and charged with felony theft.

Police noted that arrangements would be made to ship the stolen bridge back to Akron.

"Members of the Akron Police Department work tirelessly every day, to foster and strengthen relationships, while enhancing public trust throughout the community," said the Akron Police Department. "Utilizing the spirit of those partnerships, detectives, along with law enforcement personnel from neighboring jurisdictions, were able to help locate the stolen bridge and bring this investigation to a close."