Nicole LaPlante - courtesy of the East Hampton Police Dept.
Frederick Dart - courtesy of the East Hampton Police Dept.EAST HAMPTON, CT (WFSB) -
East Hampton police have arrested a couple who they said were attempting to steal copper from the Second Congregational Church.
Police said they were called to the church on Middle Haddam Road just before 3 a.m. Saturday after a neighbor reported seeing people walking around the church.
When officers arrived they did not locate anyone, but did find the copper gutters from the church had been removed and piled on the ground. A backpack was also found full of copper pieces from the church.
About 45 minutes later officers received a call from the Cobalt Lodge on Middle Haddam Road reporting a suspicious person. When police arrived they were informed that a female had asked for directions after claiming to have been abandoned in the area by her boyfriend.]
Officers located the woman along Route 66 a short time later and during interviewing her she confessed to attempting to steal the copper from the church.
Police identified the female as 19-year-old Nicole LaPlante, of East Hampton.
LaPlante also admitted to police that her boyfriend, 24-year-old Frederick Dart, was involved and he was at the Riverdale Motel in Portland.
Police located Dart at the motel and arrested him along with LaPlante. Both are charged with second-degree criminal mischief and sixth-degree larceny.
They were each released on a $10,000 bond and are due in Middletown Superior court on July 31.
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