Crime & Safety

Police Scrap Metal Theft in Progress

Two men, one from Gloucester Township, face charges for allegedly stealing scrap metal from a Blackwood construction company.

Two alleged thieves did a lot of loading up for nothing as they were caught with a truckload of booty Saturday, according to .

The booty—a sport utility vehicle “at capacity and weighted down with the heavy scrap metal” the two had just reportedly stolen, police said.

Patrolman Nicholas Bersani was on patrol around the Giulietta Construction Company on South Black Horse Pike at 10:11 p.m. Saturday when he noticed the SUV leaving the property. Bersani stopped the driver and passenger, who police said are not connected with the business, and concluded the pair was attempting to steal the scrap metal.  

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Two men—Austin Goettelmann, 22, of Little Gloucester Road, Blackwood, and Michael Lasky, 23, of Walt Whitman Boulevard, Cherry Hill—are charged with theft by unlawful taking and defiant trespassing. Goettelmann additionally is charged with possession of controlled dangerous substance drug paraphernalia. Both were remanded to the Camden County Correctional Facility with no bail.

Gloucester Township Police have conducted enhanced patrols around construction companies in the wake of overnight scrap metal thefts in the region. Thieves steal scrap metal, then sell it to dealers. Thefts usually occur at construction companies or work sites, although some acts are more brazen. In Haddonfield, thieves are stealing copper downspouts from homes during the night. And in Cinnaminson and other towns earlier this year, thieves stolen more than 300 military grave markers.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.