Police: Copper thieves hit hurricane-ravaged Ingles location

An Ingles supermarket that has been shuttered since catastrophic hurricane damage hit two years ago was the reported targeted for two copper thieves.

A report from police in neighboring Spruce Pine, North Carolina, said officers on routine patrol noticed activity at the location and found two men in the act of stripping the cables from spots in the store.

James Brandon Pruitt and Andrew Allen Hoyle, both of Asheville, NC were charged with:
-Injury to Property to Obtain Nonferrous Metals
– Possession of Burglary Tools
– Felony Conspiracy
– Attempted Felony Larceny
– Second Degree Trespass
– Injury to Real Property

Officials with Ingles just reported last month a new market will be constructed in Spruce Pine in the coming months to replace the location damaged beyond repair in Hurricane Helene.