Police get help solving copper theft case — from suspect

Shannon Hunte

Shannon Hunte

Police in Alpharetta had some unintended help in making an arrest in a burglary case — from the man they eventually arrested, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The chain of events began when security at Avalon, the prominent mixed-use complex, called 911 to report an abandoned crashed vehicle.

Moments earlier, police say a truck drove off the Avalon property.

“That vehicle turned off its headlights driving in behind a business complex and then crashed,” officer Jason Muenzer of Alpharetta police said.

Police found the vehicle.

They had no leads until Shannon Hunte ran into a RaceTrac gas station nearby and asked an officer for help.

“He was wearing some boots that apparently had mud on the boots, and he was sweating profusely,” Muenzer said.

Officers connected Hunte to the car after they found his driver’s license inside. There also was 30-plus spools of copper they think he took from a hotel construction site.

“Typically what they'll do is take this copper wire home,” Muenzer said. “They'll chop it up and take it off to go get recycled."

Hunte is charged with felony burglary.

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