By on Tuesday, 21 December 2021
Category: Wnctimes Blog

How Odd? Man Steals Bridge?

It's been awhile since we've done an "How Odd" Blog. After reading this story, we just knew it had to be shared!

December 21, 2021

According to a Facebook post yesterday by the Akron Police Department, a man was arrested with stealing a bridge, which is a felony.

The Akron Police Department's Original Post on December 10, 2021 asked for help with information to find the bridge:

Akron Police Department
December 10 at 2:49 PM ·

The pictured 58' long, 10' wide, & 6' high bridge was formerly installed at Middlebury Run Park. 
When a wetland restoration was done there it was removed and stored in a field on the west side of Seiberling St. (behind the Harwick Standard
Corporation). On November 3rd, it was discovered that someone had cleared brush around it and removed the treated deck boards.
On November 11th, the entire structure was gone.
If you have any information or knowledge of the whereabouts of this bridge, please contact Akron Police Detective D. Forney at 330-375-2464

Below is the update yesterday:

UPDATE:
During the ongoing criminal investigation into the stolen 58 foot bridge, investigators received several tips and developed additional information critical
to the case.
Based on those developments, David Bramley, 63, of Sharon Township in Medina County, was identified as a person of interest in the case.
Friday afternoon, around 2:45 p.m., a team of police officers converged on a property in Medina County and conducted a search warrant. During a search
of the property, the bridge was found partially disassembled.
Bramley was arrested and charged with Felony Theft (F4).

Detectives discovered that Bramley, who formally 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.

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.

Arrangements are being made to ship the bridge back to Akron in the coming days. 

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According to AP News:  The bridge was taken  down in 2003-04 as part of a wetland restoration project and was stored on park property with plans for it to
be reused for a Battered Women's shelter project.

Wnctimes hopes that  Battered Women's shelter will be built in the near future!

This is a story that certainly makes you say, How Odd?

Wnctimes by Marjorie Farrington

Photo: Akron Police Facebook

*Editor's Note: A criminal charge is an accusation, by law, a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven in a court of law.

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