2 arrested for attempting to cut INET impound lock

EPHRATA — Two men were arrested early Thursday morning after one of them allegedly jumped the fence at the Grant County INET impound lot in Ephrata late Wednesday night.

Just before midnight Wednesday night, Ephrata Police and Grant County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an alarm at the Grant County Interagency Narcotics Team (INET) Impound lot in Ephrata, according to court records. The impound lot stores vehicles and evidence.

When officers arrived at the scene, they noticed footprints leading up to and crossing the security and barbed wire fence surrounding the impound lot. Officers then reportedly noticed a man walking along Railroad Avenue “in front of a black vehicle slowly trailing behind with its lights completely blacked out,” according to the report. The vehicle then went behind and reappeared on the other side with its lights on.

Officers stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Bernard Brill, 57, with George Chapman, 40, in the backseat. A third individual was present in the front passenger seat. Brill alleged that he had gotten lost while “driving around Ephrata and somehow ended up in this area, however was not involved in burglarizing the impound lot,” stated the report.

Chapman stated that he had not been outside vehicle. However, he was reportedly observed with fresh snow on his pants and shoes. Officers identified him as the man they had seen walking along Railroad Avenue.

Officers identified the vehicle as being owned by Brill and having previously been “seized and stored at the impound lot,” the report stated. It was later learned by officers that Brill also had a different vehicle currently being held in the impound lot that “appeared to be the target of the burglary.”

One of the responding officers reported seeing footprints in the snow around several vehicles in the lot. When an officer dealing with evidence arrived, “he observed impressions in the snow that appeared consistent with a small tool bag,” the report stated. “A tool bag was observed in the backseat of the vehicle next to Chapman.”

Chapman was asked to exit the vehicle and two folding knives were allegedly found in his pants pockets. When told that he had been inside the fence, “Chapman appeared extremely nervous, but continually denied being inside the fence of the impound lot.” When asked to show the bottom of his shoes, he complied. It was determined that the shoes matched the footprints in the snow inside the impound lot.

The footprints reportedly circled several vehicles in the lot before coming to Brill’s seized vehicle. According to the report, “the vehicle was left unlocked in the lot, with the keys on the dash in preparation for release. Upon closer inspection the keys were located inside the vehicle’s ignition, however the battery appeared to be drained and the SUV was unable to be started.” Officers alleged that “Brill and Chapman were attempting to remove Brill’s SUV from the secure impound.”

Chapman then admitted to being in the impound, but denied having the tool bag with him inside the lot, saying he had left it outside the fence. During a separate search, a small pair of bolt cutters in a black zippered pouch was found on Chapman. Chapman claimed he had found the cutters outside the fence.

Chapman was arrested for first-degree burglary, while Brill was arrested for first-degree accomplice to a burglary. Both suspects were booked into the Grant County Jail. The tool bag and black zippered pouch were seized as evidence. Chapman stated while being booked that he had “wanted to retrieve an item from Brill’s vehicle in the impound lot,” according to the report. Brill did not admit to anything.

Rachal Pinkerton can be reached via email at rpinkerton@columbiabasinherald.com.