Alleged Detroit scrappers caught on camera taking gutters from houses

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Multiple suspects were caught on camera brazenly stealing the gutters off of a house on Detroit’s east side in broad daylight.

What they're saying:

Police say the accused thieves stole the gutters to sell as scrap metal, but with some keen detective work, they’re now facing prison time.

Calvin McGhee is the property owner of a house on Goldburn, where people call him the Land Bank Guru as he rehabilitates homes. McGhee says he had just put some gutters up when, back on Feb. 16, a couple of suspects decided to strike.

"We just did them, so it was definitely frustrating," said McGhee. "We’re just rebuild Detroit one house at a time, and we can’t do that if people are taking that from the house."

Captain Starr Gonzalez and the 9th Precinct used surveillance footage to track the blue minivan and UHaul to a Greenlight location, and then used that video to find the suspects.

"We believe that they have done this numerous times, and with the receipts that we found on hand, it proves that they have been scrapping metal," said Gonzalez.

What's next:

Malik Banks, Reginald Martin, and Amaren Little-Corbin were all charged with a scrap metal felony.

"We hope this puts it out there that we are not playing. It is not just a misdemeanor; it is a felony charge," Gonzalez said.

For Calvin, there’s more work to be done on this home, but there’s one item he’s saving for the finishing touch.

"We’re not putting the gutters back up. We’ll wait until she moves in to put the gutters back up," McGhee said.