Man Arrested After Hiring Crane Service to Steal Bridge: Police

A man has been arrested in connection with the theft of a 58-foot-long bridge from an overgrown field in Akron, Ohio.

David Bramley, 63, of Sharon Township, west of Akron, has been charged with felony theft after reportedly using a crane to lift the structure onto a vehicle, which he then drove to a property in a neighboring county, police announced on Monday.

The bridge originally was located at Middlebury Run Park, a trail along the Little Cuyahoga River, but was moved to the other side of the river when a wetland restoration project was initiated in the Middlebury Run Park area. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, there were plans for the bridge to be reused in a project for a women's shelter. 

On Nov. 3, it was discovered that someone had cleared brush around the bridge and had removed the treated deck boards, according to police. On Nov. 11, the entire structure was gone.

Police on Froday searched a property in neighboring Medina County. During the search, they found the bridge, which had been partially disassembled. Upon further investigation, detectives discovered that Bramley, who worked in the Akron area, paid a local trucking company for a crane service. 

"The crane was later used to place the bridge on and off a vehicle that transported it to the Medina County property," police said in a statement. "Members of the Akron Police Department work tirelessly every day, to foster and strengthen relationships, while enhancing public trust throughout the community. 

"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."

Bramley will be arraigned in Akron Municipal Court on Thursday.

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