Curtis Alonzo Bonds, 60, of Gary, and Gerald Reginald Scott, 35, of East Chicago, are facing multiple charges following an investigation into alleged break-ins and copper thefts at the U.S. Steel property.
According to court documents, East Chicago Police investigated incidents at the property on August 6 and August 10, 2026. During the early morning hours of August 10, U.S. Steel security reported seeing three men inside an unused mill building allegedly stealing copper.
Police from East Chicago and Whiting responded and were escorted into the plant by U.S. Steel security. As officers approached the area where the men had reportedly been seen, one man wearing a headlamp allegedly spotted police and ran. Security surveillance then showed three men leaving the building and heading toward the fence separating the property from the Marktown area.
Police searching the fence line encountered two masked men. One allegedly jumped the fence and ran into Marktown Community Park while Scott was taken into custody near the fence.
A Whiting officer assisting with the investigation reported seeing two men jump the fence from the U.S. Steel property into the grassy area of the park. The officer chased and detained one of the men, later identified as Bonds. A third man escaped and was not located despite an additional search involving Lake County Sheriff’s Department K-9 officers.
Police recovered a black ski mask, a headlamp and gloves near the fence line.
After the arrests, U.S. Steel security returned to the area inside the mill where the men had allegedly been working and found sockets, wrenches, pry bars, an electric saw, a band saw and other tools scattered across the floor. Court documents state the men appeared to have been disassembling copper bars located along the tin line.
Security also discovered an area of barbed wire that appeared to have been cut to gain access to the property. Other equipment recovered included buckets, a sledgehammer, bags and a reciprocating saw.
The investigation was then connected to an earlier incident at the same U.S. Steel facility on August 6.
During that incident, surveillance cameras captured men entering the property and warehouse. Because of the massive size of the building and the possibility that the men were still inside, officers from East Chicago, Whiting and Hammond, along with Lake County Sheriff’s Department personnel, conducted an extensive search using multiple K-9 teams and a police drone.
The men were not located, but officers found bags, receipts, rolls of duct tape, cutting tools and a broken cutoff tool. Investigators also discovered an opening that had apparently been cut into part of the building.
U.S. Steel security later reviewed surveillance footage showing men using four-wheeled dollies to move items from the mill toward the fence. Security personnel also reported finding evidence of what was described in court documents as “scrap metal harvesting” inside portions of the facility, along with heavy-duty wagons apparently being used to haul material.
Among the items found inside the mill was a large jar of whole pickles sitting in an aisle.
The investigation also uncovered surveillance footage dating back to May 28 that U.S. Steel security believed showed a group repeatedly entering the property and stealing large amounts of copper wire and bus bars. Surveillance from July 7 allegedly showed three people entering through a door at the facility, while additional footage from August 9 showed suspects making numerous trips between the mill and an area along the fence.
During an interview on August 10, Scott admitted being at the steel mill earlier that morning and acknowledged he was not supposed to be there.
When asked why he was at the mill, Scott replied that he was “trying to get money.”
When asked what he meant, Scott stated that “we were attempting to take copper from a building after they entered through an open door.”
Scott told investigators that Bonds and a third man he identified only as “Jack” were with him inside the U.S. Steel property on August 10. Scott denied involvement in the August 6 incident.
Bonds declined to speak with investigators after being advised of his rights.
Investigators then compared surveillance footage from the August 6 and August 10 incidents. According to court documents, a detective identified Scott in the August 6 footage based on his stature and gait. The detective also believed the other two men appearing in August 10 surveillance were Bonds and the man Scott identified as “Jack.”
U.S. Steel security estimated that at least $5,000 worth of copper was taken during the August 6 incident, although officials said determining an exact value was difficult because the copper had been attached to machinery that was not designed to be dismantled.
Lodged in the Lake County Jail on August 11,2026.
Charges filed August 11, 2026:
Burglary — Level 5 Felony — 2 counts
Theft, property valued between $750 and $50,000 — Level 6 Felony
Attempted Theft — Class A Misdemeanor
