Police Say Pole Theft Was a Family Affair

Man, two juveniles charged with stealing five Pepco poles from construction site

August 26, 2014 8:30 a.m.

Montgomery County police say three family members were charged with stealing five utility poles from a Rockville construction site.

Police arrested the three as they tried to leave the area after realizing the Pepco poles, which had Interstate 270 signs attached, were too big to fit in their U-Haul truck and might attract suspicion.

Marvin W. Frazier, 33, of Germantown, and two juvenile boys, ages 13 and 15, are suspected of breaking into Paradigm Companies construction site on Key West Avenue and stealing the poles, valued at $25,000, at about 1:40 a.m. on Saturday. Police reported that the boys were Frazier’s relatives, but they declined to say how they were related.

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A witness called 911 after spotting a group of people loading the utility poles in a U-Haul truck at the construction site, police said.

When officers responded, they reportedly saw a minivan backing up to a U-Haul truck in the parking lot of a nearby Extended Stay America hotel. As they spoke with the minivan driver,  three males wearing gloves and dark clothing began running away from the truck, police said.

Police caught the three more than a half mile away at the Sleep Inn parking lot on Research Court.

Frazier and the juveniles were charged with second-degree burglary, fourth-degree burglary and felony theft. The juvenileswere released to the custody of a parent.

Police said no charges were filed against the minivan driver, who was also a relative of Frazier, because she didn’t appear to be involved in the burglary. She reportedly told investigators that Frazier had called her to pick up him and the juveniles when he realized the poles wouldn’t fit in the truck. Frazier reportedly told police he planned to leave the U-Haul in the parking lot and pick it up in the morning.

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