Two men accused of stealing $1,000 worth of rebar from a local construction site were arrested after their pickup truck crashed into a tree while fleeing from a witness.
On Wednesday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal responded to the area of SW 57th Avenue and 172nd Loop in reference to the single-vehicle crash. Upon arrival, the corporal observed a Chevrolet pickup truck that had struck a tree.
The corporal made contact with a witness who advised that they had spotted the pickup truck at a posted construction site on Marion Oaks Lane. According to a statement from the witness, rebar from the construction site was “loaded up in the back” of the truck, and the vehicle began leaving the area as the witness drove near the incident location.
The witness advised that they followed the pickup truck and called 911. The truck then proceeded to “take off at a high rate of speed” before crashing into a tree.
Shortly after the crash, the witness stated that an unknown man wearing a yellow shirt and blue jeans ran away from the pickup truck. An MCSO deputy soon arrived on scene and attempted to get the two remaining occupants out of the truck, according to the report.
The occupants were identified in the report as Paul Perry Watson and Brett Allen Amerine.
Amerine was removed from the vehicle and detained in handcuffs. Wilson was entrapped in the wreckage and had to be removed from the vehicle by paramedics. Both men were then transported to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash.
The corporal noted in the report that rebar was observed in the bed of the crashed pickup truck, and some rebar had also been thrown in front of the vehicle. The construction materials were wrapped in “new plastic packaging.”
The estimated cost of the stolen rebar was approximately $1,000.
After being read their Miranda rights, Amerine and Watson both admitted to assisting an unidentified man with loading rebar from the construction site into the pickup truck.
During Amerine’s post-Miranda interview, he claimed that the “plan” was to steal rebar from the incident location. Under that plan, the unidentified man would then sell the stolen materials, splitting the proceeds three ways, according to the report.
The report stated that a clear plastic bag was found in Amerine’s front pocket, which contained a crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
During Watson’s post-Miranda interview, he stated that Amerine was “lying about the plan.” Watson further claimed that he was initially unaware of the theft, and only realized that he was partially responsible for stealing the construction materials when the witness began chasing the pickup truck, according to the report.
Both Amerine and Watson refused to provide any additional information about the other individual who was allegedly involved in the theft incident.
Amerine and Watson were placed under arrest and transported to Marion County Jail on Wednesday afternoon.
Jail records show that Amerine is currently being held at the jail on a $12,500 bond. He is facing the following charges: trespassing on a posted construction site, grand theft from a posted construction site, and possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) without a prescription.
Watson is currently being held at the jail on a $10,000 bond. He is being charged with trespassing on a posted construction site and grand theft from a posted construction site.
A court date has not been scheduled yet for Amerine or Watson, according to jail records.