COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – One person has been arrested in connection with the theft of more than $300,000 worth of firefighting equipment from the Columbus Division of Fire.

According to court documents, expensive operational firefighting equipment, including a marked Columbus Fire Department transport van, was stolen in the early morning of March 30.

Police said suspects forcibly entered the Columbus Division of Fire Training Academy on Parsons Avenue in south Columbus. GPS data then showed the stolen van leaving the property at 2:20 a.m.

Surveillance video from multiple locations shows an orange Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck in the area before the theft, parked near the Training Academy at the time of the break-in, and was seen following the stolen van immediately after it left the property.

The stolen transport van and the orange pickup truck reportedly traveled approximately 30 miles over a 53-minute period, in and around Franklin and Pickaway counties.

Police observed the vehicles on Fontaine Road in the far east side of the city, where small components of the stolen equipment, such as radio cords and clips, were found discarded on the ground. Video surveillance shows individuals moving between the stolen van and the pickup truck at that location.

The investigation, with the assistance of FLOCK cameras, tracked the registration of the pickup truck to 49-year-old Stephanie Ramirez, of Groveport, who is charged with burglary. Ramirez was issued a $750,000 bond in Franklin County Municipal Court on Monday morning and is slated to next appear in court on April 15 for a preliminary hearing.

According to court records, Ramirez described a second suspect, Roger Knapp, as the person who planned the burglary. She told police that she picked him up and drove him to the back of the training academy. Court records state she said she stayed parked nearby serving as a lookout for approximately two hours while Knapp committed the burglary. 

A warrant has been issued for Knapp’s arrest.

In a statement, Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Jeffrey Geitter said the department is shoring up security at the training academy with money approved by Columbus City Council on March 24.

“The Columbus Division of Fire was disappointed and disturbed to discover on March 30 it had been targeted by thieves,” Geitter said. “Those responsible didn’t just victimize a city department, but the taxpayers of Columbus.”