Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Welder theft solved

A 23-year-old Prescott man has been charged with commercial burglary in connection with the theft of a welder.

The offense actually occurred on July 27, 2001, when Monty McKamie returned home and found his welder had been stolen from his shop.

He called the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, with Deputy Danny Martin responding. McKamie showed Martin tracks from a vehicle and the roll-around stand the welder was on.

Neighbors contacted reportedly said they had seen a red Ford Ranger along with a gray Ford at McKamie's house about the time of the burglary.

McKamie told Martin Jesse Spell drove a red Ranger, and Teddy Spell drove a gray Ford.

When Teddy Spell was first questioned, he said he had gone shopping with his mother, then went fishing till about 6 p.m. at Scott Miller's pond.

Afterward, T. Spell claimed to have gone fishing until midnight at Rodney Nelson's pond.

However, according to reports, T. Spell was later involved in an incident and told Morris Irvin, criminal investigator for the Prescott Police Department, he had taken the welder and sold it to a man in Texarkana.

Irvin went to Texarkana to get the welder, with Spell being arrested.

He was charged with commercial burglary, a class C felony punishable by 3-10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Spell was also charged with theft of property, another class C felony.