Man arrested for copper cable theft and pepper spray threats at gravel plant
A 42-year-old man from Kalkar is suspected of stealing copper cables from a decommissioned gravel plant on Rissenweg. When employees encountered him there, he fled after brandishing pepper spray.
On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at around 10:25 a.m., workers at the gravel plant discovered an unknown individual in one of the machine rooms, where he had no authorization to be. When confronted, the man attempted to flee. The two employees—a 56-year-old and a 32-year-old—tried to stop him, at which point he threatened them with pepper spray.
The suspect managed to escape from the gravel plant and continued his flight in a car parked nearby.
Responding officers later located the vehicle, matching the witnesses' description, under a bridge on the B473 highway heading toward Bocholt. The suspect was identified as a 42-year-old man from Kalkar with a prior criminal record known to police.
The man was provisionally arrested. Inside his car, officers found not only the pepper spray but also copper cables. The vehicle was impounded. Further investigation revealed that the Kalkar resident had been driving without insurance and under the influence of intoxicants.
A doctor called to the scene took a blood sample from the 42-year-old.
At the request of the Duisburg public prosecutor's office, a judge issued a warrant for his pretrial detention.
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