A security guard at the General Motors Assembly Plant was arrested for stealing 11,000 pounds of robotic copper welding tips from the plant, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator.

Emile E. Short, 54, of the 6800 block of Klug Pines Road in Shreveport, was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center on Monday following an investigation by the Caddo Sheriff's Office.

The thefts occurred over a 16-month period, according to detectives investigating the case. The loss to GM was more than $23,000.

Short was employed by a private security company and had access to the locked area where the metals were stored. He stole the welding tips a little at a time going as far back as 2008, detectives said.

Short was booked into Caddo Correctional Center on 16 felony counts of theft and one misdemeanor count of theft.The case was investigated by Sheriff's Detectives Jason Morgan, Andy Scoggins, and Terry Richardson.