Camera captures substation thieves after they return to the scene, sheriff says

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Deputies in Iredell County say a pair of suspected thieves were caught after they returned to the scene of the crime to pick up stolen wire.

According to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a Duke Energy electrical substation on Island Ford Road last Friday and found a hole cut through the fence.

The sheriff’s office says the suspects “attempted to steal a large spool of aluminum wire,” and it was pushed into a nearby field. Duke Energy said the spool of wire was worth about $7,500.

Detectives figured the thieves would come back to get the wire spool, so they set up cameras and a GPS tracking device on it.

Monday morning, deputies were alerted that the suspects came back to the wire spool. Deputies found the two suspects and arrested them. Surveillance video and other evidence showed that they were the ones who broke into the substation, the sheriff’s office said.

The suspects were identified as Patrick Lail and Nash Reidlinger. They’re both charged with three counts of first-degree trespassing, felony larceny, and felony possession of stolen property.

(VIDEO: CMPD investigating deadly shooting in north Charlotte)