Copper Theft
By:
Updated: April 17, 2007
Johnson police were investigating a possible copper theft in the Heritage Hills subdivision and ended up arresting a man linked to a completely different copper theft in Benton County.
Police arrested 28-year-old Christopher Burrows after Burrows pulled into the subdivision driving a truck loaded with copper wire, and then quickly drive away once he noticed the officer.
Investigators with the Benton County Sheriff`s Office say Burrows stole the copper wire not from the subdivision, but from the Allen Canning Company.
Investigators say thieves often steal copper from construction sites and then take the metal to scrap yards for money, where they pay by the pound. Investigators say Burrows had around 70-pounds of copper in his truck.
"They get about $2.00 a pound at most of the iron and metal places around the area," says Sergeant Dennis Schumacher.
Schumacher says copper theft has become a frequent problem in Northwest Arkansas.
"I`d say we take maybe 2-3 reports a week on copper being stolen out of houses, chicken houses, different places."
Sheriff`s deputies plan to file charges against Burrows next week.
