Arrest made after $175K worth of steel components were stolen from Morey's Piers Giant Wheel work site

More than $175,000 worth of steel components were allegedly stolen from a temporary work site on the Wildwood beach, delivering a setback to the refurbishing project of Morey's Piers' iconic Giant Wheel, the amusement park said Wednesday.

William Morelli, 67, of Wildwood Crest, was arrested and charged with theft of movable property, the City of Wildwood Police Department said Wednesday. Morelli was later released on a summons complaint, according to police.

The theft was reported shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, and happened over several days, police said.

Investigators later identified Morelli as the suspect after Morey's Piers provided them with a suspect and vehicle description. They alleged Morelli stole a large amount of metal from an area of the beach near Schellenger Avenue and the boardwalk and sold it to a scrap yard business.

Morey's Piers dismantled the giant Ferris wheel last fall and sent its center hub to the Navy Yard in Philadelphia to be repaired. 

Geoff Rogers, Morey's Piers chief operating officer, said in a press release that the alleged theft doesn't change the amusement park's commitment to completing the project on time.

"We are heartbroken by this incident," Rogers said. "The Giant Wheel holds deep sentimental value for not only the company and our team members, but the generations of families who have made memories on it."

In November, Morey's Piers director of construction Mike Granigan told CBS News Philadelphia that the bearings on the center hub of the Giant Wheel needed attention. He said the last time the spokes were replaced was in 1999.

"Even though they're sealed to the elements, just the amount of weather and exposure they have, the atmosphere creeps in," Granigan said in November.

Kyle Morey of Morey's Piers told CBS News Philadelphia in November that they anticipate the Ferris wheel being open when the park opens on May 1.

Despite the alleged theft, Rogers said in Wednesday's press release that Morey's Piers still expects to finish the project on time and open in time for the 2026 season.

The Ferris wheel had been a defining part of the Wildwood skyline since 1985.