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Ohio man admits to stealing more than 500 roadside signs

By Ben Hooper
An Ohio man admitted to stealing more than 500 roadside signs from public land because he thought they were distracting to drivers. Photo Courtesy Avon Lake Police Department
An Ohio man admitted to stealing more than 500 roadside signs from public land because he thought they were distracting to drivers. Photo Courtesy Avon Lake Police Department

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June 29 (UPI) -- Police near Cleveland, Ohio said they arrested a man accused of stealing more than 500 roadside signs posted on public land because he thought they were distracting to drivers.

The Avon Lake Police Department said it has received numerous complaints in recent months about signs being removed from city-owned tree lawns at the side of roads, and video footage recently emerged showing John Hoelzl, 62, taking one of the signs.

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Police searched Hoelzl's home, where they recovered more than 500 signs, valued at an estimated $5,500. Police said most of the signs, which advertised local events and businesses, had been placed with proper permits from the city.

Hoelzl told police he took the signs because he feared they would be distracting to drivers.

"I never thought I'd get arrested for it. I wasn't really arrested. They came and asked me and I said, 'Yeah, I got 'em' ... I gave them all my signs -- it was over 500 of them," he told WJW-TV.

He said he has been removing signs from city-owned right-of-ways for about 10 years.

"There was nothing on the sign saying this sign is allowed to be here. I probably shouldn't have done it because, you know, I'm in trouble now," said Hoelzl.

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Hoelzl said he wanted to apologize for taking the signs.

"I'm not taking them no more," he said.

Hoelzl is facing a felony count of receiving stolen property.

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