Photo: Akron Police Department
After more than a month, authorities in Ohio located a 58-foot pedestrian bridge that was stolen from a park. On November 3, somebody removed the treated deck boards from the bridge, which once crossed the Cuyahoga River in Akron’s Middlebury Run Park. Eight days later, officials discovered that the metal frame had also been stolen.
The bridge was taken down in 2003-2004 as part of a restoration project and was being stored on park property. Officials were planning to reuse the materials from the bridge as part of a Battered Women’s shelter project.
On December 10, the Akron Police Department issued a public plea for help in locating the stolen bridge. After receiving multiple tips, officers conducted a search of a property in neighboring Medina County on Friday (December 18). Investigators discovered the pieces of the bridge and took a 63-year-old man into custody.
The suspect is alleged to have paid a company to use a crane to remove the bridge and transport it to his property in Medina County. It is unclear what company he used or if the company knew the suspect did not have the authority to take the bridge.
The suspect, who was not identified, has been charged with felony theft.
Officials are working to have the pieces of the bridge shipped back to Akron.