Apr. 13—A Clarkston man has been charged with grand theft for allegedly taking large stones from Garlinghouse Memorials, a business that makes headstones and monuments for cemeteries.

Lewiston police responded at 9:19 a.m. Monday to Garlinghouse, on Main Street, Lewiston, for a report of a man, Bryce A. Morrow, 48, who was being fired and had been allegedly stealing supplies from the company. When the officer arrived, Morrow wasn’t at the business, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The owner, Sheyanna Weber, told the officer she had been missing items from the business and alleged Morrow took them. She told the officer the first item was a tall triangular granite piece that was last seen April 5. There was also a tile saw valued at $1,000 and a black wheelbarrow valued at $175 that were reported missing according to the affidavit.

Surveillance at the business showed around 2 p.m. Sunday a black Ford pickup at the back of the shop. Morrow can allegedly be seen using a forklift to load a large piece of granite used by the business into his truck, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit noted that the video was upside down and distorted but the officer could see the granite was outside the shop and allegedly loaded into the truck by Morrow. The officer interviewed another employee, who reported he had arrived shortly after the incident was recorded on the video and saw a set of keys in the lock at the back door that he identified as Morrow’s.

Later in the day, the officer returned to Garlinghouse because Morrow had texted one of the employees that he was on the property near the Yamaha shop on Main Street. The officer went outside to wait for Morrow but he didn’t show up.

The officer was told Morrow drives a black Ford pickup and the officer saw one driven by a woman drive by the location. The officer was then told that Morrow’s pickup was in the back lot, according to the affidavit.

The officer went to the back lot and spoke with the woman, who was driving the vehicle, and who was identified as Morrow’s daughter. She told the officer she allegedly heard a conversation between Morrow and her mother about the stolen items and “became so fed up with the both of them and decided to return the items herself,” according to the affidavit.

The officer allegedly found the missing tile table and saw, a piece of granite, another dark rock and a wheelbarrow. The officer noted that Morrow’s daughter “appeared very embarrassed and annoyed at the entire situation,” according to the affidavit.

The officer told Morrow’s daughter to tell her father that if he didn’t talk to him that day he would have an arrest warrant. Later, Morrow allegedly texted one of the employees that if police wanted to arrest him he was at the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake rivers. But when the officer arrived, he wasn’t there, according to the affidavit.

Later in the day, Morrow came to the police department and told police he had bought the granite and black stone more than two decades ago from former owners.

He alleged that the purchase of the stones were taken out of a paycheck and therefore he owned them. When the officer asked why the stones were still on the property after two decades, Morrow allegedly said he didn’t have the opportunity to move them because he didn’t have a pickup until now.

Morrow also told the officer that Weber had allegedly given him permission to use the tools for his own personal use in the past. Morrow also made a statement that he was going to be quitting because of the work conditions and he was being targeted for reporting the business to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to the affidavit.

Morrow was taken into custody for grand theft. Lewiston police received notice Thursday that the granite marker was valued at $2,450 but there was no price yet on the black stone, according to the affidavit.

The maximum penalty for grand theft is 14 years incarceration as well as a $5,000 bond. Morrow was released without bond and given a no-contact order with his former employer Friday by Magistrate Judge Victoria Olds at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.

Olds appointed public defender Rick Cuddihy to represent Morrow, and his next court date is April 29.

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.