A 40-year-old Belleview man was arrested after he was caught trespassing on a construction site in order to steal materials.
On Tuesday, October 12 around 8:15 p.m., a Marion County Sheriff’s Office sergeant was conducting a security check in the Woodridge Estates subdivision located at 3690 SE 110th Street Road in Belleview.
According to an MCSO report, upon arrival, the sergeant noticed a suspicious male holding a flashlight near a home that is under construction. The block walls for the home were up, and equipment and construction material were on the ground.
As the sergeant approached, the man, later identified as Charles Lewis Barr, attempted to conceal himself behind the home and shut off his flashlight.
The sergeant found Barr and began an investigation. While performing a pat down of Barr, the he discovered a clear glass pipe with burnt residue that later field tested positive for methamphetamine.
When questioned about the pipe, Barr initially claimed to have found it in the home, but later stated that it was his and that he had used it earlier in the day to smoke methamphetamine, according to the report.
Barr informed the sergeant that he had seen the home under construction and came onto the property to remove unused construction material. He showed the sergeant and another responding deputy numerous cinder blocks and wood that he had taken from a nearby dumpster.
Barr was placed under arrest and transported to Marion County Jail. He faces several felony charges for trespassing and grand theft, as well as a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held on $8,000 bond.
No court date has been scheduled yet, according to jail records.