Copper Thief Fried By Power Line

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SeriouslySearching said:
OK This has to go under the heading of Stupid Criminals!!!! :crazy:

Police believe a man who died Saturday was electrocuted while trying to steal copper from a power line.

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0308/505868.html
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When you're out to steal some copper you're not thinking I guess. This dude had to be a genius. He could have easily just busted into somebodies house and took out their pipes and all. Gone to the cemetery and stole the planters or the things they keep the candles in. Sheeesh!
 
I'm sorry, but I'm glad he got fried. My MIL's friend in her late 70's came home from helping at church last Friday night to find water pouring into her basement because some broke in and cut her copper pipes out without bothering to turn off the water. She is all by herself and is traumatized.

Last year copper thieves actually cut into a local major phone line to get at the copper and put hundreds of business in a lurch because of downed phone lines and servers, etc. Restaurants and stores couldn't process electronic payments! My brother lost business because of some copper thief. So I'm glad this one was stupid and is no longer stealing from others.
 
Taximom said:
I'm sorry, but I'm glad he got fried. My MIL's friend in her late 70's came home from helping at church last Friday night to find water pouring into her basement because some broke in and cut her copper pipes out without bothering to turn off the water. She is all by herself and is traumatized.

Last year copper thieves actually cut into a local major phone line to get at the copper and put hundreds of business in a lurch because of downed phone lines and servers, etc. Restaurants and stores couldn't process electronic payments! My brother lost business because of some copper thief. So I'm glad this one was stupid and is no longer stealing from others.
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TM, that's a sin. Your MIL's friend should never have had to deal with that. Copper thieving must be a huge problem everywhere. There's always somebody from here busting copper out of someone's home or out of the cem's. It especially p*sses me off when it the elderly who get the brunt of this. Phone lines? Like who would know they got copper? Obviously thieves would.
 
Taximom said:
Here's her story:
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/15622365/detail.html
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Awww, she lived in that home since she was two years old. That poor woman. I'm glad she was helped. Still had to given the poor woman such concern and worry. Maybe that thief will choke. That's wrong on so many levels. In a way maybe the dude got electrocuted can represent the person did that to your MIL's friend.
 
Copper thieves are the lowest of the low, imo. I also think the people who buy the copper share in the responsibility for the thefts. They say the companies have cracked down and ask for ID, etc. still I don't see any signs that they are turning people in!! If it is so easy to sell it...they are going to keep stealing it! I bet if they started going to jail with the thieves that are making money for them...it would stop in a hurry.
 
Boy, can I relate to the stories here!
We have had more than one brain surgeon-type copper thief electrocuted in my area. As for cemetery vases, that too. About a half-dozen cemeteries in the tri-county area around here have been hit, including the vase from my parents' graves. I agree the scrap dealers should be arrested and prosecuted.

The officer to whom I spoke about our theft said the way the law is written limits what they can do. He said if they see someone walking down the street with copper piping, they cannot arrest them because there is no law against walking down the street with copper piping. They know it has been stolen, but under the law can do nothing about it at that point.

Oh well, keep giving out those Darwin awards to highly intelligent (?) criminals. Remember, the Darwin awards are always awarded posthumously.
 
A little OT but is there some advantage to having copper plumbing?
 
Not really, Am. It was used for decades until PVC came into play. Most older homes have copper because it doesn't rust etc.
 
The company that used to next-door to us has a huge issue with people stealing copper. They got a guard dog about a year or so ago and all was well for a bit, then the no good jerks who steal copper started drugging the dog! They ended up taking the dog home because they were afraid he'd end up killed by these low lifes. The local scrap yards have to know what's going on, I don't think they care.
 
SeriouslySearching said:
Not really, Am. It was used for decades until PVC came into play. Most older homes have copper because it doesn't rust etc.
Click to expand...

Ahhh!! Thanks!! I was wondering if maybe the PVC did not hold up well to the cold.
All of my homes have had PVC I think.
 
I just met a guy recently who's home burned down and he has been living in a tiny studio apt while he fights with the insurance company. While the house was vacant waiting for reconstruction to begin some went into the crawl space and took all the copper out one night. Now he not only has to deal with the insurance company for the intial fire (started by a problem with his truck that a recall was issued on a week later...that's a whole 'nother story) anywhoo....now he has to deal with the insurance company for the claim on the copper and the insurance company is giving him a hard time, poor guy. :( So I have to admit to a bit of a warm fuzzy feeling when I read about a total waste of space taking themselves out like this. Heartless ain't I?
 
My husband said he thinking about pulling all the copper pipes out of our house before some one eles decides to do it for him. He has alot cause a couple winter ago most of the pipes froze and busted so he to start changing them to pvc. he going to build a fence and cage for the ac in hopes that it want be noticed.
 
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