Coffee Cup Clue Leads To Arrest Of Two Cantonment Men For Stealing $7,000 In Wire, Tools

March 26, 2026

Two men were arrested, thanks to a coffee cup, following a business burglary in Cantonment where 18 vehicles were entered and $7,000 in equipment and wire was stolen .

James Allen Casey, 46, and Michael Sheldon Lay II, 37, are both facing multiple charges including 18 counts of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, grand theft, and trespassing.

According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred early in the morning on March 19, 2026, at a Pike Electric supply and equipment yard on Becks Lake Road. A foreman at the facility reported that trail camera footage showed two subjects wearing camouflage walking onto the property and removing copper wire and tools.

Deputies determined that the suspects gained access to the yard by cutting a chain-link fence. Once inside, they allegedly broke into 18 trucks and stole approximately $6,000 worth of solid and stranded copper wire, a gas-powered drill valued at $500, and a chainsaw valued at $500.

Investigating deputies discovered a fresh coffee cup from a nearby convenience store on the trail used by the suspects. Surveillance video from Cumberland Farms at 392 North Highway 29 showed two men matching the descriptions from the trail camera—one in a camouflage jumpsuit and another in camouflage pants and a hat—purchasing coffee and leaving in a white Dodge Dakota. An image from Highway 29 and Tree Street also showed the same vehicle.

The vehicle was described as a Dodge Dakota with a white front end, white doors with brown or gold bottom, having a dark bed and black wheels.

Authorities later located the vehicle at a residence in Cantonment. Investigators used prior traffic stop records and driver’s license photos to positively identify both men.

Both suspects were booked into the Escambia County Jail with a bond set at $51,000 each.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES