Published: September 16, 2008 02:35 am      

Palestine man faces theft charge

PALESTINE — A 33-year-old Palestine man faces a theft charge after authorities allege he stole approximately $2,000 worth of industrial shelfing from a local school district.

Corey Wayne Coker, 33, of Palestine was charged with theft between $1,500 and $20,000 Friday morning after a sheriff’s deputy observed the man pulling a trailer containing large sections of shelfing, according to Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor.

Officials with the Westwood Independent School District had contacted Anderson County sheriff’s authorities shortly before the man was pulled over by deputy John Wright, according to the sheriff.

Authorities were contacted by a Westwood official who informed them a school employee had observed a white Dodge pickup traveling east on West Oak Street “pulling a trailer loaded with frames and shelves” early Friday morning, Taylor said.

“They thought it may have come from an area behind the old baseball field that belonged to the school,” Taylor said. “Deputy (John) Wright ran across this truck heading south on (U.S.) 287 towards Elkhart and got it stopped on Longhorn Street (just inside the Palestine city limits).

“He (Coker) was pulling this trailer loaded down with approximately 90 pieces of 10-foot sections of industrial shelfing,” the sheriff continued. “Some representatives of the Westwood ISD came and identified it as their material and confirmed it was missing from their place.”

Taylor said authorities believe the material was stolen “either late the night before (Thursday) or early that morning (Friday).”

Sgt. investigator Larry Warrick is heading up the investigation into the theft, according to the sheriff.

Records show that Coker was released from the Anderson County Jail Sunday after posting a $10,000 bond set by Anderson County Justice of the Peace James Todd.

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com