A local man has been charged in connection to the suspected break-in of one of the city’s utility payment drop boxes earlier this month, according to officials with the Dowagiac Police Department.

Garry Duane Means, 53, of Dowagiac, was charged with counts related to the break-in during his arraignment last week in Cass County Court. He is currently being held on a $30,000 cash or surety bond.

Means is accused of breaking into the city’s payment drop box located between Pennsylvania and New York avenues south of Commercial Street at some point between the mornings of Aug. 4 and 7. City crews discovered that the box was damaged, with its contents empty, the morning of Aug. 7, and called police to investigate.

Detectives with the department later determined a possible suspect in the matter.

On Aug. 13, officers with the department arrested Means, a longtime resident of the Dowagiac area, around the Twin Lakes area on an unrelated bench warrant. Police requested charges through the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office against Means in regards to the payment box break-in.

This case remains under investigation. Anyone with information on this case or any other case is as asked to contact the Dowagiac Police Department at (269) 782-9743.  Anonymous tips may be left at ccso.info.