Vero Beach man charged in scrap metal theft

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — An alert witness notified authorities when he saw a man leaving a county transfer station with a truckload of scrap metal on a day the station was closed, according to an arrest affidavit.

Thanks to the tip, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office charged Shawn Fey, 26, of the 500 block of Kenwood Drive Southwest, Vero Beach, with burglary, dealing in stolen property and misdemeanor theft. He was being held in lieu of $5,500 bail.

The witness told deputies he spotted a black F-150 at the transfer station in the 100 block of Old Dixie Highway about 9 a.m. Thursday. Deputies found someone had pulled aside a lockedgate to enter the closed station, the affidavit states.

Based on noise the witness heard from the station, deputies said the burglar tossed the scrap metal over the fence.

The Sheriff’s Office determined Fey took 450 pounds of the stolen metal to a Gifford scrap dealer, but left before he could be paid the $39 for it. The business gave Fey’s name to the deputy, who took him into custody about 1:40 p.m. Thursday.

Fey said he only collected metal on the outskirts of the station, but the deputy said he found prints in the property which matches Fey’s shoes, the affidavit states.

Fey told the deputy he left the scrap metal business without being paid because he didn’t have identification on him, the affidavit states.