A 54-year-old Belleview man was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after he was accused of stealing from a posted construction site.
On Tuesday, October 11, an MCSO deputy responded to the 3600 block of SE 138th Street in Summerfield and observed a bicycle equipped with a wagon that was parked on two properties. The deputy noted in the MCSO report that both properties were posted construction sites.
According to the MCSO report, the bicycle was parked directly next to a wooden container. When the deputy approached the container, a man stood up from inside the container. The man was detained by the deputy, and he was later identified as Brett Albert Pillar.
Pillar stated that he was unaware that the construction site was posted. The deputy observed that Pillar was in-between both posted signs, approximately 20 steps away from them.
The signs warned that the area is a designated construction site and “trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
After being read his Miranda rights, Pillar told the deputy that he was at the incident location to go through the trash that was inside the container. He stated that he was searching for wires and cables.
Inside the container, the deputy observed a cardboard box containing numerous pieces of cables and wires. Pillar admitted that he had planned on taking the box and its contents home to strip the wires and cables. He told the deputy that he sells copper and typically receives several dollars per pound.
Pillar stated that while he was looking through the container, he was under the assumption that the items inside were trash, and he did not believe that he was doing anything wrong.
Pillar was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $4,000 bond. He is facing felony charges for grand theft (over $300 but less than $5,000) and trespassing on a posted construction site.
A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, November 15 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.