Man confesses to 11 copper thefts

AMITE — A man in custody of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office confessed to 11 thefts of copper wire in the Hammond area since October, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday.

After St. Tammany deputies arrested Patrick Reed Stewart, 30, of Bogalusa, earlier this month, he admitted committing the Hammond-area copper burglaries, according to the report.

Stewart admitted to stealing thousands of dollars worth of copper wiring, the sheriff’s news release said.

Tangipahoa authorities plan to book Stewart on 11 counts of felony theft in Tangipahoa Parish, the news release said.

Stewart remains in the St. Tammany Parish Jail, the release said.