Suspect Stole Copper Piping, Had Heroin: Galloway Police

A Tuckerton man was charged with the theft of copper piping after attempting to run from police early Thursday morning, Galloway Township Police said.

Kevin Hayek, 45, was charged with burglary, and possession of heroin.

Officer John Mooney was on patrol in the area of South New York Road and Leeds Point Road around 2:02 a.m. when he saw Hayek riding a bicycle and carrying a large bag.

When he attempted to stop Hayek, Hayek fled in the direction of Leeds Point Road.

Additional patrol units responded to the scene, along with K-9 Officer Hiram Melendez and his partner K-9 Chico.

Melendez and K-9 Chico began a track where they quickly located Hayek’s bicycle and the bag he was carrying, which allegedly contained numerous amounts of freshly cut copper piping.

The track continued to the backyard of a home on Leeds Point Road where K-9 Chico found Hayek hiding behind several garbage cans. Hayek surrendered to K-9 Chico and was taken into custody.

Further investigation reveals that Hayek allegedly broke into an abandoned residence on the 100 block of South New York Road where he allegedly removed the copper piping.

Hayek was lodged in The Atlantic County Justice Facility on numerous charges as well as active warrants out of Ocean County, NJ, and Warrington, Pennsylvania.