JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Perhaps the alleged thieves thought no one would believe that the massive item on top of their van was stolen.
Needless to say, their plans to steal a 30-foot power pole didn't go as planned. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) in Florida arrested two men on Wednesday for trying to steal the essential item. Apparently, a resident helped spot the oddity and called the police.
In the photo posted by JSO, it looks as if the men tried tying the pole to the top of their vehicle - not obvious at all.
The Florida Times-Union reported that the pole apparently came from a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. In fact, an officer heading to the scene spotted the hole from which the large metal item was stolen. One of the men who had been placed under arrest said the pole was lying in the road and he was just trying to move it out of the way.
However, he had no answer for police when they asked why he didn't just roll it to the side.
The suspects have since been identified as 42-year-old Blake Lee Waller and 46-year-old Victor Walter Apeler. And further investigation may have revealed their true goal for the power pole.
The newspaper reported that Apeler had completed 73 pawn transactions so far in the year - all but one of them dealing in scrap metal. The pole itself has an estimated value of $2,500.
Both men now face charges of grand theft.
