Thanks to a tip Texarkana Texas Police have made two arrests in connection to the theft of copper from the Gander Mountain building.
Detective Cody Harris was able to solve the case and made two arrests yesterday. Richard Jenkins, 49, and Brandy Gossett, 34, were charged with Theft of Material (less than $20,000), which is a state jail felony.
Detective Harris identified the two after he learned someone here reported that they had seen a green GMC Jimmy with two people in it leaving the area about two weeks before. Using that information as a starting point, he was able to locate a similar vehicle on video at a local scrap metal business about 30 minutes after the witness said they’d seen the vehicle leaving Gander Mountain. Checking the transaction records there showed that Jenkins had sold 187 pounds of A/C coils – an amount that was almost exactly the amount estimated to have been stolen from Gander Mountain. He continued to dig and then found that the green Jimmy had been used during several transactions to sell cooper at the scrap metal business. One of those from a few days before where 82 pounds of copper pipe that was very similar to the piping taken from Gander Mountain was sold by Gossett and Jenkins.
Detective Harris did an outstanding job tracking down all the leads on this case. However, he was quick to say that he is very thankful for the tip from Facebook that gave him a starting point from which to work – adding that without that one little piece of information, the case may have not been solved and those responsible arrested.
Both Jenkins and Gossett are being held in the Bi-State Jail on $10,000 bonds. We also arrested Jenkins for an outstanding parole violation warrant.
