A Slatington woman has been charged with stealing copper down spouting from a seminary.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Dean Heffelfinger Jr. of the Lehigh Township Police Department in the case against Camala Pavelco:

At 5:26 p.m. Dec. 4, Heffelfinger was dispatched to Cherryville Road for a report of a theft. The caller told Northampton County radio that someone had cut the cooper downspouts from the building.

At the seminary, Heffelfinger found at least nine sections of copper downspouts missing from the south side of the building.

On Dec. 12, Heffelfinger went to the Great Metal Recycling facility along Riverview Drive in Walnutport.

An employee showed him copper downspouts that matched the downspouts still intact at Mary Immaculate Seminary.

Some of the spouting was cut up and in a cardboard box and larger sections were lying on the floor.

The owner Great Metal Recycling told police that Camala Pavelco, 50, and one of her male friends had brought it in with her white Chevy Cavalier all bent up in the trunk and back seat.

The owner got the invoice for Pavelco which showed she dropped off 50 pounds of copper-lead coated on Dec. 6, which he described as down spouting and also said he couldn’t get the male’s receipt since he couldn’t remember his name.

With help from the Walnutport police, Heffelfinger was able to identify the man as David Roberts.

Heffelfinger returned to the recycling business and after telling the owner Roberts’ name, was given two invoices; one dated Dec. 3 for a total of 64 pounds of copper, and the second dated Dec. 5 for 125 pounds of copper, and that both times Roberts had brought in the spouting.

On Jan. 27, Heffelfinger interviewed Pavelco outside her resident.

Pavelco talked about how her and Roberts take Cherryville Road, and that she has always loved the monastery. She said she and Roberts walked around the monastery one day in early December.

Pavelco said she looked in the dumpster and saw scrap metal in the dumpster and she loaded it up in her car. She said she then found out it was copper.

On Dec. 22, Heffelfinger received an invoice for the replacement cost of the spouting taken from the Marcy Immaculate Center. The total replacement value for the property taken is $36,620.

Pavelco faces charges of theft by unlawful taking.

Pavelco is free in lieu of $50,000 unsecured bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing March 29 before District Judge Robert A. Hawke of Walnutport.