2 men charged with breaking into NW Indiana school to steal copper pipes

Two men are facing felony charges after being caught breaking into a northwest Indiana school Tuesday to steal copper pipes.

Officers saw 44-year-old Del Rico Hardy and 34-year-old Kevin Levar Kizer using sledgehammers to break into Dr. Bernard C. Watson Academy for Boys at 2065 Mississippi Street in Gary, according to Gary police.

Kizer was taken into custody in the school’s basement, while Hardy ran off and hid in a crawlspace, police said.

A police officer from neighboring Hammond and his canine partner ultimately located Hardy and took him into custody, police said. Hardy was taken to Methodist Hospital in Gary, where he was treated for injuries sustained during his arrest before being released.

The men, who both live in Gary, told officers they had broken into the school to steal copper pipes they planned to sell for scrap, police said. They were each charged with burglary.

Information about their bonds and next scheduled court dates wasn’t immediately known.

Anyone with information about the burglary should call Sg.t Mario Gonzalez at (219) 881-4743 or Gary police at (866) CRIME-GP.