A man accused of stealing a device containing radioactive material from a vehicle in Bridgeport on Tuesday has been arrested.
The nuclear gauge was stolen early Tuesday morning from the trunk of a vehicle owned by HAKS Material Testing Group, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The trunk was broken into and chains securing the device were cut.
Police have arrested Carlos Hernandez, 28, of Bridgeport, and charged him with second-degree larceny and credit card fraud.
The vehicle the nuclear gauge was in was broken into on Douglas Street overnight, according to police.
The device, which is worth $7,000, is used to measure the density of soil at construction sites and contains small amounts of cesium-137 and americum-241.
It was found at East Coast Pawn on Glenwood Avenue in Bridgeport and was not damaged, according to the NRC.
The radioactive material is sealed and protected as long as the gauge's handle is in the locked, shielded position, but if someone were to tamper with the device or if the radioactive material were unshielded, it could cause a dangerous radiation exposure, according to the NRC.
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An inspector from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection went to the shop yesterday to inspect the gauge and confirmed it was not damaged. It has since been returned to the owner, according to NRC.
The victim's debit card was also stolen and police said the suspect used the card at a Redbox at the Walgreens at 1000 Park Avenue around 5 a.m.
A surveillance video captured the suspect using the card at the machine.
