Belle Plaine man charged with copper theft from abandoned Colonial Centre building

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Belle Plaine man was charged with two felonies Tuesday after police said he stole over $10,000 worth of copper from an abandoned apartment building.

Cedar Rapids police responded to a burglary report Monday at the Colonial Centre building and found Jeremiah Lee Hawkins, according to a criminal complaint. Along with Hawkins, police found two bags of copper wire that had been cut from the structure at 1500 Second Ave. SE, in the Wellington Heights neighborhood.

Police said Hawkins admitted to the burglary.

Hawkins, 33, is charged with first-degree criminal mischief, a Class C felony, and third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. He’s also charged with possession of burglary tools and possession of methamphetamine, which are aggravated and serious misdemeanors, respectively.

In October, Mayor Brad Hart said the city of Cedar Rapids will look to spend $1.5 million to buy the abandoned building on Second Avenue SE and convert it into affordable housing. In July, the City Planning Commission voted against rezoning the property for public use after pushback from Wellington Heights residents.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Hawkins was from Cedar Rapids. Hawkins is from Belle Plaine.

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