Man charged with burglary of Prattville's 'gin shop'

PRATTVILLE — A local man was arrested for burglary Tuesday after allegedly breaking into Prattville’s iconic downtown landmark to steal copper.

Scott Vaughan, 53, of Prattville, is charged with burglary and theft in the case, said Police Chief Mark Thompson, he allegedly broke into the “gin shop,” Daniel Pratt’s antebellum cotton gin mill. Vaughan was arrested last month and charged with trespassing at the mill, Thompson said.

Investigators were still interviewing Vaughan on the scene early Tuesday evening, and he could not be reached for comment. His booking mug was also not available Tuesday evening.

“One of our officers on patrol spotted a suspicious man near the woods behind the Masonic Lodge across the street from the mill,” Thompson said. “When our officer approached the man, he fled on foot. He was caught a short time later. We found two backpacks behind the Masonic Lodge full of copper.

“He admitted to stealing copper from inside the building. He took us to several power boxes where he had pulled copper wire. Obviously, there was no power going to those boxes.”

The sprawling industrial site is owned by the Historic Prattville Redevelopment Authority. The authority is now working with LEDIC Realty to redevelop the gin shop and put in up to 145 loft style apartments.

The apartment plans have been the talk of the town since 2015. LEDIC officials expect construction to begin in the spring.

The historical significance of the property means Prattville PD has increased patrols in the area, the chief said. Also, the city’s public safety building, housing the police and fire departments, is in the rear parking lot of the gin shop site.

“We have stepped up our presence in the area, because there have been unauthorized people gaining entry into the buildings,” he said. “That’s why we were able to catch this man in the act. And neighbors were good in telling us where they had seen him running during the foot pursuit, so that helped as well.”

Pratt, who founded the town that bears his name in 1839, picked the fall line of Autauga creek to power his industrial empire. Along with making cotton gins, Pratt operated a foundry, lumberyard, sash and door mill and cotton spinning plant at the site.