A preliminary court hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for James Bronson Taylor Jr., who is charged with theft and criminal property damage following an investigation into freeway copper thefts.

The hearing was scheduled today during the initial court appearance for Taylor, the alleged leader a group responsible for more than $100,000 in copper thefts in Leeward O'ahu freeways over the past six months.

Taylor is charged with copper theft and criminal property damage. Each offense punishable by up to five years in prison, and he is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Taylor was escorted out of the courthouse by sheriff's deputies.

His arrest was made after five sheriff's deputies acted on a tip from the state Department of Transportation.

They reportedly watched Taylor walk along a west-bound stretch of H-1 Freeway at the Makakilo off-ramp at 5 a.m. Sunday. An electrical box had been left open with a soft-drink bottle covering a live wire that had been cut. They arrested Taylor after reportedly watching him pull wires out of the electrical box.

Over the past 18 months, miles of H-1 Freeway and H-2 Freeway near Ka Uka Boulevard have been left dark because of copper wire theft.

More than $164,300 worth of copper wire has been stolen from light fixtures along freeways this year. The estimated cost of repair is topping $2 million.