Men arrested for stealing highway guardrails, taking backhoe bucket from CHS

Police say two Barbourville men are responsible for a string of brazen broad daylight thefts involving scrap metal, highway guardrails and even a backhoe bucket from Corbin High School.

Charles W. Newkirk III, 22, and Charles R. Mills, 28, have both been charged with felony theft following an investigation by Corbin Police Officer Jeff Hill last Friday into what authorities say was a weeklong rash of thieving.

According to arrest citations, Newkirk and Mills were stopped near the intersection of Ninth Street and Kentucky Avenue at around noon last Friday. Authorities had received a call that Newkirk was spotted taking guardrail from a construction zone on Hwy. 26, near the new Woodbine Connector road. There was guardrail, beams, cable, bolts and nuts in the back of the white Chevrolet van at the time of the traffic stop.

According to Hill, both men claimed they had been contracted by the state to remove the guardrail. That claim, police contend, was a lie.

"I contacted the Highway Department and they said they didn’t authorize anyone to be removing guardrail," Hill said.

Authorities had been looking for the vehicle for several weeks in connection with similar thefts in the area.

Corbin Police Department Public Affairs Officer Sgt. Rob Jones said police were provided with video surveillance last Tuesday of Newkirk, and another man, taking a backhoe bucket, valued at around $1,158, from Corbin High School the day before. Two men can be seen on the video jumping out of a white van, loading up the bucket, and taking off. The theft happened in the middle of the afternoon, just as school was letting out.

"Those buckets are very valuable," Jones said. "You can roll up on any job site with a bucket like this and sell it, easy. They are expensive."

School officials noticed the bucket, and other scrap material from behind the Corbin Technology Center, was missing a day later.
"It gets kind of chaotic there when school lets out and they just took advantage of that," Hill said.

Newkirk and Mills took officers to where the stolen bucket was located following their arrest – Lewis Recycling in Flat Lick.
Hill said Newkirk claimed the van was borrowed from someone else. He gave police another man’s name, but Hill said he never could find information on any such person.

"The recycling place thought the bucket was questionable so they set it aside thinking somebody would probably come looking for it," Hill said. "They recognized the Newkirk guy. They said he’s the one that brought them the bucket and all the metal."

Police say other items taken from the Technology Center included: vehicle axels, stainless steel sheets of metal, motor heads and computer electronic wire. All the items they are accused of stealing are have an estimated value of between $8,000 and $10,000.

Hill said Newkirk simply drives around every day looking for items at residences that can be sold for scrap. He said he thinks Newkirk normally asks homeowners if they can have items taken.

"I guess they just got greedy this time," Hill said.

Neither Newkirk nor Mills has a criminal history, Hill said. Both were lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center where they remained as of press time Tuesday on $15,000 cash bonds.

Hill was assisted in the arrest by officers John Hill, Mike Nunley and Col. David Maiden.