Two arrested for alleged copper theft in Todd County

Two suspects accused of stealing wire from a Todd County business were arrested Tuesday morning on multiple charges.

Arrest citations for 29-year old Matthew Merrill of Pembroke and 42-year old Jodi Simson of Elkton say they were observed allegedly trespassing on the property at Jeff Lear Trucking and that they had stolen copper wiring from dump trucks on the grounds. The pair reportedly fled when confronted, but both were soon located and detained by Todd County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Turner.

A duffel bag containing copper was located that also contained clothes belonging to Simson and Merrill allegedly admitted to planning to sell the copper for scrap.

Both suspects were arrested and charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespass and felony theft or attempted theft.