WATCH LIVE
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police are on the hunt for a guy who allegedly stole tons of dollars’ worth of valuable metals from a structure site in Gerguytown.
The incident occurred on May 14 at 5:56 a. m. in the 5,600 block of Gerguytown Avenue. A security video released by police shows a man walking through the site. He later realized that he cut through the cover of a wooden door and entered the site. He came out with black bags filled with what police said were copper wires.
Police described the man dressed in a blue jacket with beige sleeves, a black hoodie over his head, a blue T-shirt and gray sweatpants with the word “no” in white letters. He is also said to be dressed in black shoes and black plaid gloves.
Colin Farrell, superintendent of the site, said the suspect had dismantled the transient wiring that provided electrical power to a construction he and his team were running for Covenant House. It is a non-profit organization that provides housing and resources to homeless youth.
“It’s a real shame that they’re flying for a clever cause,” Farrell said.
In total, the suspect fled with about $700 in valuable metals. It was also delayed for a few days in Germantown.
Farrell said trespassing is a challenge at maximum-structure sites.
“In construction, everyone sees it and they have their eyes on it and they need to get through and fly because there are a lot of opportunities, even if the job site is completely finished, to take the pipes and wiring very easily,” Farrell told Action News . .
The value of copper has risen by almost 30% since the beginning of the year. Scrap steel retailers told Action News that copper could sell for as much as $4. 15 a pound today.
Thieves to profit have even started targeting EV charging stations, cutting wires and stealing the copper inside. Recently, four Electrify America charging stations located at 7126 Ridge Avenue were vandalized.
The company told Action News in a statement, “Due to vandalism, Electrify America chargers located at 7162 Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia will remain unavailable. We are consulting with local authorities to determine the source of the damage to the assets. The negative effect on electric vehicle drivers. This is unfortunate and we hope that the challenge will be resolved quickly. We will provide an update in the Electrify America app when chargers become available.
William Goldman, who said he uses the charging stations to rate his vehicle every day, called the act outrageous.
“This makes it complicated for other people who live in the domain and need to rate their cars,” Goldman said.
Kevin Dejoinville expressed fears that fewer charging stations will lead to longer wait times.
“It’s bad enough, I have to wait hours to recharge and now my other spot, all 4 have been hit,” Dejoinville said.
If you have any information about those incidents, police ask that you call the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353.
The Pa. celebrates generations of dentistry at Temple
Community demonstrations around a vandalized café in downtown
Philadelphia Police Solve Death After Six-Year Investigation