Copper thieves arrested for alleged raid

Two copper thieves were arrested this week after they allegedly broke into the Caney Fork Electric Cooperative yard and made off with 300 pounds of the valuable metal.

The suspects, James Hill and an unidentified 16-year-old juvenile, have both been charged with theft and vandalism over $500, the latter to face his charges in Juvenile Court.

They are charged for cutting a hole in the fence at the Caney Fork, located off Hobson Street, and then stealing about 300 pounds of scrap copper. Sheriff?s investigator Jackie Matheny Jr. said the thieves packed their compact car full to make off with the stolen copper before taking it to Jacksboro where they burned the rubber off the copper so it could be pawned. The suspects reportedly sold the copper the following day to a local scrap metal dealer at a price of $982.

?This has been quite a problem, especially in nearby counties where there have been a lot of copper thefts,? Matheny said, noting criminals have found a variety of ways to steal the copper from houses, utility poles and utility yards.

?Most places, including the local dealer, are starting to require identification before buying scrap copper,? Matheny said. ?Plus, the price of copper, which was once up to around $3 a pound, is starting to fall so we hope that?ll discourage other copper thieves.?

Matheny said copper thefts were spurred on in recent months by the increased price of the metal, a price spike which began its upward cycle in the wake of increased copper demand for all types of building materials following Hurricane Katrina last year.