A 36-year-old Imperial man was arrested after he reportedly twice stole items from Ace Hardware in Arnold during a two-week period. In addition, Arnold Police allegedly found a substance believed to be methamphetamine in the SUV he was driving, the report said.
The man was arrested at about 3:30 p.m. Nov. 8 after he was found coming out of the Harbor Freight Tools store, 1400 Jeffco Blvd. Officers had been searching for him after an employee at Ace Hardware, 1520 Jeffco Blvd., reported that he had stolen a Milwaukee tool kit at about 10 a.m. that day, the report said.
The tool kit was valued at about $150, and the man allegedly stole an identical tool kit from Ace Hardware on Oct. 28. The Ace Hardware employee said the man left in a black Chevrolet Trax that didn’t have a license plate. Officers saw the Trax outside the Harbor Freight Tools store and waited for the man to return to the SUV, according to the report.
The tool kit the man reportedly stole on Nov. 8 was not in the SUV, and the man did not have any items from Harbor Freight. However, officers allegedly found a glass smoking pipe and a bag with a white crystal-like substance in the Trax, the report said.
The man was arrested and taken to the Police Station, where he was booked and released pending application for warrants. Depending on results of the drug analysis, Arnold Police will seek charges against the man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and stealing, Cpl. Brett Ackermann said.