By Pat Culverhouse

Minden police detectives have cooled off the person they believe is responsible for a series of air conditioner thefts over the past couple of months with the arrest of a 51-year-old local man.

Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver said Bobby Ray Anderson is being held on charges of felony theft, attempted felony theft, simple criminal damage to property and as a fugitive from the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office following his Friday arrest. His bond has been set at a total of $18,500.

McIver said detectives have been looking into three thefts and one attempted theft of outside air conditioning units that began in August. One unit reportedly was taken from a Shreveport Rd. business while the others reportedly were stolen from residences in the same area.

“A witness was able to identify the suspect’s vehicle spotted at the residence of the attempted theft,” McIver said. “Detectives received the license plate of the suspect vehicle and discovered Anderson was the registered owner.”

MPD Det. Lt. Jason Smith the investigation revealed Anderson reportedly had sold compressors and other air conditioner parts to a local metal salvage yard several times in August and September.

“There was also other evidence uncovered during the course of our investigation,” Smith said. “We also learned he had an active arrest warrant in Bossier Parish for burglary. We arrested him at his residence without incident.”

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.