LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - What began as a late-night burglary at a data center construction site in Sterline turned into a high-stakes police pursuit that ended with a crashed getaway vehicle.
What we know:
Loudoun County deputies arrested three young men on Friday, but a manhunt is underway for two additional suspects who managed to escape.
The incident unfolded around 12:23 a.m. when the group of five entered a commercial data center construction site near the 45000 block of Maries Road. The suspects reportedly loaded a "large amount of copper wire spools" into a rented U-Haul truck.
When deputies arrived to investigate the burglary in progress, the suspects attempted to flee the scene. A pursuit ensued, which came to an abrupt end when the suspects crashed the U-Haul truck.
Following the crash, deputies successfully recovered the stolen copper wire spools from the vehicle, which authorities say are valued at over $100,000.
Dig deeper:
Deputies apprehended three suspects at the scene of the crash, while two suspects fled and remain on the run. The three arrested men have been charged with Grand Larceny and are identified as:
- Jhamal Micah Kalil Muskelly, 21, of Alexandria, Va.
- Demetrius Shaun Charlton, 23, of Falls Church, Va.
- Cordell Lamar Carter, 18, of Washington, D.C.
Muskelly and Charlton are currently being held without bond. Carter was held on a $4,500 unsecured bond.
FOX 5's Tish Lewis reports that two of the apprehended suspects have prior criminal histories, with one currently on parole and another on probation.
What they're saying:
Former FBI Special Agent Ken Gray noted that while stealing copper wire has been a common crime for years, the targets are shifting. Where thieves once stripped precious metals from residential homes and standard construction sites, massive data centers and their heavy copper payloads are becoming the new, lucrative target for criminals.
"Hundred thousand dollars. We're talking about grand larceny, so this was a good stop," Gray said regarding the arrests.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by Loudoun County police.