Police officers allegedly foiled a local man’s efforts to steal manhole covers and sell them as scrap on Sunday.

According to the police report, the Minnesota State Patrol stopped Chad Sabanish, 39, of Austin, after they saw him driving away from Austin Public Works at about 2:50 p.m. Officers looked in Sabanish’s trunk and reportedly found several Austin manhole covers. When officers asked Sabanish why he took the manhole covers, Sabanish allegedly told them he thought it would be OK.

Sabanish was cited for theft and driving after revocation. He was placed in the Mower County jail.