Melville Man Arrested In Copper Theft Bust

An alleged copper thief from Melville has been arrested. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says detectives, acting on a tip, searched 58-year-old Walter Clyde Ryder's home and found two large containers with camper electrical cords and shaved copper wiring.

Sheriff Guidroz says on July 23 they found that over 200 FEMA trailers were stripped of their electrical power wiring and cords. Guidroz says, when questioned, Ryder admitted to the crime. He has since been released on a $2,000 bond.