Police: Man tried stealing pipe from Belmont

Police say they've arrested a homeless man caught using a hacksaw to steal copper pipe from Belmont Park raceway.

The noise made by the suspect, Jerome Simpson, 46, during the burglary attracted the attention of a raceway security guard on patrol at the grandstand, Nassau County police said.

The guard then walked in on Simpson sawing the pipe in a men's bathroom plumbing area, police said. The guard held Simpson for police, and officers arrested him on charges of third-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Simpson was scheduled to be arraigned Saturday at First District Court in Hempstead. It was not immediately clear whether he is represented by an attorney.

The Belmont horse raceway, the home of the annual Belmont Stakes, is in Elmont.

Stolen copper pipe is typically sold.