A 40-year-old Odessa man was booked into the Ector County jail Monday after police said he confessed to stealing roughly $70,000 worth of property from his former employer, an equipment rental business.
According to an Odessa Police Department report, employees of Roper Equipment Rental on Interstate 20 reported tens of thousands of dollars of equipment, including a utility trailer, welding machine and various power and hand tools, had been stolen from the business and they suspected a former employee, Kristopher Donal Williams.
When an officer drove by Williams’ home on East Century, he saw a dirt bike in Williams’ yard that had also been listed as stolen in the report. According to the officer’s report, a woman also told him that she had spotted her stolen red push lawn mower in Williams’ yard.
Officers located other stolen property on Williams’ property, including some he had tried to hide while they were on scene, the report stated.
Williams confessed to having stolen property from Roper Equipment to trade for drugs, according to the report. He also told them the utility trailer and welders had been stolen from his house.
Williams was booked on suspicion of theft of property and tampering with evidence. In addition, he was booked on a warrant alleging he was a fugitive from justice in Carlsbad, N.M.
