A Weirsdale man with a history of theft convictions is behind bars after allegedly helping himself to high-powered lawn equipment from a local recycling center and then trying to flip the stolen goods on Facebook Marketplace.
Edward Eugine Hanson Jr. was arrested after Marion County Sheriff’s Office detectives tied him to a February 5-7 burglary at the Weirsdale Recycling Center on SE 164th Street. Investigators say Hanson and an accomplice, Hunter Sparkman, broke into a utility shed by cutting the lock, making off with a Billy Goat blower, a pressure washer, and a gas can—totaling over $3,000 in stolen property.
Detectives got a break when maintenance manager William Torrance spotted the blower for sale on Facebook, listed by Sparkman. Posing as a buyer, Torrance confirmed the serial number matched the stolen equipment, leading authorities straight to Sparkman’s residence.
Sparkman, after a conversation with his mother, admitted to helping Hanson with the heist, even revealing their entry method: crawling through a hole in the fence. He also claimed Hanson had been hitting the recycling center for months, swiping everything from tools to scrap cell phones.
Hanson, who has multiple prior theft convictions in Marion, Lake, and Orange counties, had initially evaded capture, prompting detectives to issue a warrant. However, authorities have since located and arrested him.
He now faces charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure, grand theft, and criminal mischief.
