A 50-year-old man from Sault Ste. Marie has been charged with theft and breaching release orders following an incident this week involving a damaged air conditioner. A 911 call came in around 2 a.m. Nov. 4 that a “suspicious” person was taking apart an air conditioning unit on Gore Street. “Upon arrival, officers located the accused near the dismantled AC unit,” Sault police said in a news release Nov. 5. “The accused was found to be in possession of knives, contrary to the conditions of their release order, as well as copper wire taken from the AC unit.” After he was already in custody, detectives realized he was the same suspect wanted for damaging another AC on Queen Street East on Oct. 18, again in an attempt to steal its copper components. Charges include theft, attempted theft, mischief over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, breach of recognizance and three counts of failing to comply with a release order. The accused was held in custody pending a bail hearing.
