KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasCopper Thieves Strike Again
Thieves looking for quick cash are stealing nearly anything made of copper.
A pair of copper thieves were arrested Sunday afternoon in North Las Vegas for stealing from a construction site. The alleged thieves put up a fight and one police used a taser on one of the suspects.
Raymond Lyon, a plumbing foreman , is documenting the damage to this new warehouse. Copper tubing for the building's cooling system was cut from the ceiling.
"It's a waste. The time that it took to put all this in was a month and a half. Eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, and I'm going to have to do it all over again," said Lyon.
The damage is in the tens of thousands of dollars. It is costly and frustrating.
Workers caught the pair believed responsible red-handed at the warehouse. Officers showed up. The suspects fled on foot. One man was arrested blocks away at a truck stop on the other side of I-15. Police say he was so violent, they had to use a taser on him. His alleged partner in crime was injured during the hot pursuit and taken to U-M-C.
Investigators say copper crimes are an ongoing problem and are often associated with drugs.
"People will take these pipes, insulation, wires, take them down, get them recycled, receive monies for them, and purchase drugs," said Bill Dolan with the North Las Vegas Police Department.
One of the suspects arrested in connection with this theft was in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The suspects face several charges including burglary and evading arrest.
It will take a month to repair the warehouse.
