Witnesses seeing movement near a water pump station has resulted in the arrest of a Scioto County man.

Clyde Andrew Chancey McGee, 25, of 438 Slate Run, Lucasville, is charged with criminal damaging/endangering.

Deputies were dispatched to an area across the road from 419 Slate Run Road, when a caller said he could see someone “messing with something” at a pump station owned by Northwest Water.

The caller confronted the man and informed deputies that he was detaining him until they arrived. The suspect had, at first, reportedly run into a creek, but eventually came out.

Upon arrival, deputies took McGee into custody, and observed a cut piece of copper wire and pipe, which appeared to have run from an electric box into the ground. The deputy also observed a vent that had been bent. Upon further questioning, the deputy said McGee advised him that he cut the copper wire and bent the vent.

Deputies and detectives made several arrests for copper wiring theft over the weekend.

They were called to an AEP Ohio property at 329 Carver Ridge Road, where someone climbed a chain link fence and cut and stole 25 feet of copper grounding wire from the tower structure.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.