WARSAW — Two suspects in the Arnolt Corporation copper theft case were arrested Tuesday, April 23.

Mitchell Allen Dawson, 37, 5829 W. CR 100N, Warsaw; and Kylelaya Duff, 34, 702 Ross Ave., Warsaw, are each being charged with burglary, a level 5 felony; and theft, a level 6 felony.

Judd Emery Metz, 50, 201 N. Cottage Road, Goshen, was arrested on April 16 with a $5,500 surety and cash bond. A fourth suspect, Allison Foster, Claypool, is facing a charge of aiding and inducing theft, a level 6 felony.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department received information regarding burglary and theft occurring at 2525 E. Durbin St., the former Arnolt Corporation building. The caretaker of the property said subjects were entering the building and stealing copper wire and other metals.

The officer placed surveillance cameras at the building. On Jan. 21, the cameras showed several subjects at the building with their faces covered. One of the subjects was identified as Metz.

On Jan. 24, the officer spoke with Metz, who admitted to entering the building and selling copper and other metals to Lewis Salvage.

Officers also spoke with Dawson, who admitted that he, Duff and Metz entered the building to strip copper wire. Dawson told the officer that tools were used to remove copper from pipes and that Duff opened a transformer to get copper and oil spilled. According to Dawson, they stripped approximately $10,000 worth of copper from the building over several months.

On Jan. 28, the officer spoke with Duff, who admitted to entering the abandoned building on several occasions. Duff told the officer that he knew the building was going to be torn down so he wanted to get the rights to remove the scrap from the building. He further advised that Lewis Salvage “hassled” him when he tried to sell items to them and that he had his girlfriend, Foster, sell the items.

Foster admitted to selling scrap metal to Lewis Salvage for Duff. According to Foster, she did not know where the metal came from. From October through December 2018, Foster sold over $1,900 worth of metals to Lewis Salvage.

Dawson and Duff were booked in the Kosciusko County Jail each with a $5,500 surety and cash bond. There is a warrant out for Foster’s arrest.