Athens Police officers were determined to catch a thief Wednesday and they did.

Lt. Floyd Johnson and Det. Dustin Lansford went on a stakeout Tuesday night to watch the Athens Utilities building on Wilkinson Street after copper was discovered missing.

“We hoped that he would come back another day,” said Police Capt. Marty Bruce of the suspect.

Eric Dwain Cole, 43, of 15131 Cannon Road Lot A, Athens, did not disappoint. At about 3 a.m. Wednesday, Johnson and Lansford watched as Cole crawled under a fence surrounding the facility and took rolls of copper from utilities trucks. The officers confronted Cole as he was walking back to the area of the fence where he entered. 

Cole also took copper from the trucks Sunday and Monday nights, Bruce said.

He was taken to Limestone County Jail, charged with 10 counts of breaking and entering vehicles, Bruce said.

The copper taken was valued at $2,850, he said.