Two men were arrested after allegedly stealing copper from a Leesburg construction site.
Leesburg police were dispatched Wednesday night to the 200 block of Lee Street after receiving a suspicious persons complaint. When officers arrived at the construction site they saw 37-year-old Willie Washington throwing pieces of metal out of a second story window. They also saw 38-year-old Gregory C. Bindner picking the metal up and loading it into his car, according to the arrest report.
When the officers questioned Washington, he told them that he was given permission to collect scrap metal from the construction site. When the officers contacted the property owner they were told that no one had permission to be on the property.
Bindner claimed he did not know the property had been posted despite the large construction site sign at the front of the property.
Both men were placed under arrest for the theft of the copper and other metals and for trespassing on a posted construction site. Washington was also charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure. After processing at the Leesburg Police Department they were taken to the Lake County Jail where bond was set at $8,000 for Washington and $3,000 for Bindner.
