Two Arrested in Theft of Manhole Covers

LONGVIEW — Two women have been arrested after allegedly stealing 59 City of Longview manhole covers, and one is facing sentencing in a high-profile case from 2011. KETK reports that Rachel Bradley, 40, and Penny Summers, 51, were taken into custody after allegedly trying to sell them to a Longview scrapyard. Police say the covers had been stolen from the Neiman Marcus industrial park and the North Longview Economic Park areas. Authorities with the Harrison County Sheriff’s office say the two were also trying to sell a stolen urn that had been holding flowers in a small Longview cemetery. The women were arrested and booked into the Harrison County Jail.

Bradley (pictured) had previously been arrested for her role in the theft of $20,000 in gifts meant for local foster children during the Christmas season of 2011. The toys and electronics belonged to the Gregg County Child Welfare Board and were taken from the organization’s storage facility. Bradley was indicted in April 2012 for that crime and was released from jail on a $25,000 bond. The court found her guilty on April 4, and she is awaiting sentencing on May 6 for that felony case.