A 27-year-old Davenport man is in custody after police allege he tried to break into a former elementary school to steal copper wiring, according to court records.
Rickey Appleby faces a felony charge of third-degree burglary and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of possession of burglary tools, court records show.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Friday, police were conducting uniformed patrol in the area of the former Monroe Elementary School in the 1900 block of West 4th Street, Davenport, after reports of people entering the property and stealing copper wiring.
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“This property is in the process of being demolished and is secured by a chain link fence approximately six feet in height,” arrest affidavits say.
Appleby was located on the property, within the fence line, “while in possession of bolt cutters and a face covering,” police allege in affidavits. Appleby said he used the bolt cutters to breach the fence line and force entry into the building with the intention of stealing copper wiring, officers allege in affidavits.
Police saw the metal wire used to secure the west doors had been cut and two piles of copper wiring had been accumulated on the north side of the building near the location where Appleby was taken into custody, according to affidavits.
Appleby is being held on a $7,000 bond in Scott County Jail.
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