IRVING, Texas - Two people were arrested early Tuesday morning after Irving police say officers interrupted a burglary and suspected copper harvesting operation at a former commercial property being converted into a data center.
According to the Irving Police Department, officers responded around 2:23 a.m. May 26 to an alarm call at CoreSite in the 2700 block of East Grauwyler Road, east of Loop 12 in Irving.
When officers arrived, they discovered the fenced property appeared to have been forcibly entered. Investigators found a tow strap wrapped around a north-side gate, which appeared to have been pulled open, along with fresh tire tracks leading into a wooded area behind the building.
Police followed the tracks and located a blue Ford pickup truck backed up to a door on the east side of the building. Officers also discovered a broken glass window nearby, leading them to believe suspects were still inside the secured property.
At approximately 3 a.m., two individuals exited the building and were immediately detained by officers.
The suspects were identified as 43-year-old Kyle Richie Shambarger and 53-year-old April Machelle St. Clair.
While being detained, police said Shambarger claimed the pickup truck was his work vehicle and told officers he was homeless and believed the building was scheduled for demolition.
During a search of the building, officers found numerous pieces of copper tubing, scrap metal components, and building materials staged near the exit door. The materials had reportedly been loaded into two large containers and placed on pallet jacks.
Investigators also recovered a Ryobi reciprocating saw and a backpack containing multiple power tools believed to have been used to remove copper and metal from the building.
Police said additional power tools and chargers were discovered during an inventory search of the pickup truck before it was towed.
A representative for CoreSite later advised officers the company wanted to pursue criminal charges.
Both suspects were booked into the Irving Jail on charges of burglary of a building, a state felony. Their bond was set at $5,000.
The property was previously occupied by Exela Technologies, which filed for bankruptcy in 2025 and was then acquired by XBP Global Holdings.
The Irving City Council approved plans in February 2026 for CoreSite to redevelop the location into a data center facility.
