Decatur man accused of stealing furnace from public housing to provide heat for girlfriend
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — A Decatur man is charged with burglary after police said he stole a furnace from public housing and hooked it up to his own home to provide heat to his girlfriend. She had just been evicted from that public housing, and the furnace came from her former home.
In a sworn statement obtained by WCIA, Officer Jeffrey Hockaday said that Michael Webb, 37, had a home on Neely Avenue, but he also shared a second home with his girlfriend and another housemate. That home, located on North 31st Street, is owned by the Decatur Housing Authority and on Jan. 17, the DHA evicted the trio.
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Three days later, a maintenance man who entered their former home found the furnace and water heater missing, along with copper piping from the air conditioning unit and a utility closet. Hockaday said the duplex's property manager suspected Webb and his girlfriend.
Continuing to investigate, Hockaday said he learned Webb recycled 13 pounds of copper piping with Mervis Recycling on Jan. 30 and 31.
The Macon County Sheriff's Office arrested Webb and his girlfriend on Feb. 16 in connection to a different burglary. Hockaday said that when deputies served a search warrant for Webb's home on Neely Avenue that day, they found the furnace and water heater stolen from the DHA duplex.
The third housemate who lived with Webb and his girlfriend was present when the warrant was served. Hockaday said he spoke with investigators and told them he was aware of the burglary on 31st Street.
'(The housemate) advised they were going to move into Michael's residence…which did not have heat,' Hockaday said. '(The housemate) advised that Michael broke into (their former home) where he stole the water heater and furnace because he wanted (his girlfriend) to have heat.'
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By the time deputies served their search warrant, the furnace had been hooked up and was operational while the water heater was not.
Hockaday said that another search warrant was served Feb. 21 and Webb voluntarily pointed officers to the location of both the furnace and the water heater. After being read his Miranda rights, Hockaday said Webb admitted to breaking into the 31st Street home after eviction and stealing the items.
Macon County court records show Webb is charged with a single count of burglary, a Class 2 felony. He was released from custody with conditions and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 12.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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