Pipe dream a nightmare for this alleged thief

POST FALLS — A Post Falls man’s wide load had wide-reaching consequences.

It was so wide that it damaged oncoming vehicles, resulting in the theft arrest of Brett K. Anderson in the Post Falls area Thursday afternoon.

The 47-year-old was arrested for allegedly driving a silver Chevy Impala with 40-foot-long pieces of stolen aluminum irrigation pipe from a nearby field hanging out both sides of the car’s windows.

"Three motorists reported damage to their vehicles as Anderson was attempting to drive from the area," a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office press release states.

KCSO spokesman Dennis Stinebaugh said Anderson was reportedly heading to a recycling facility with the pipes. A KCSO report states that the pipes were an "obvious hazard."

He said the three vehicles sustained minor damage.

"He made numerous comments about how this was the dumbest thing he'd done in his entire life," a KCSO report states.

The arrest occurred around 1:30 p.m. in the area of North Meyer Road and Hayden Avenue on the Rathdrum Prairie.

The value of the pipes was estimated at $650.

"Some of them appeared to be damaged due to how they had been stowed in Anderson's vehicle," the report states.

After being interviewed, Anderson was booked into the Kootenai County Jail for possession of stolen property and drug paraphernalia. He was also cited for petit theft and reckless driving.

One of the victims reported the bizarre wide load, Stinebaugh said.

Anderson apparently had taken a smaller load of metal to Spokane to a recycling facility earlier in the day before allegedly coming back for the larger haul. The victim, who has had metal farm equipment stolen before, couldn’t be reached for comment on Friday.

Stinebaugh said that a few years ago, copper and aluminum thefts were more prevalent than they are today.

"Our metal thefts are down due to declining prices," he said. "Right now our biggest theft problem is Walmart."