By KEITH MORELLI
The Tampa Tribune

RUSKIN - An unemployed Apollo Beach man was arrested Thursday morning, accused of burglarizing eight construction sites earlier this month in search of copper tubing.

In the course of the burglaries, authorities said, the thief or thieves caused thousands of dollars in damage to air conditioning systems.

Joshua Benjamin Handley, 24, 5139 Clover Mist Drive, was charged with eight counts each of burglary of a structure, trespassing on a posted construction site, grand theft from a construction site and criminal mischief.

Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies arrested Handley shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Cypress Creek and Orange Point drives.

He is accused of burglarizing eight construction sites in the Ruskin area between March 19 and Monday, deputies said.

In each burglary, copper was the target, deputies said, and to get to the copper, significant damage was caused to the air conditioning systems, where the copper tubing was located.

More than $1,000 damage was caused to the air conditioning systems in each burglary, deputies said, and more than $400 worth of copper tubing was stolen.

Handley remained in the Orient Road Jail Thursday. Bail was set at $64,000.

---

Get Weekly Deals | Write a letter to the editor | Subscribe and get two weeks free | Place an Ad