Copper thieves keep deputies busy | Crime

The past week has been a busy one for White County sheriff’s deputies investigating copper thefts.

Since Wednesday, July 25, crooks have stolen more than $8,000 worth of copper.

Among those hit was Lloyd Choate, owner of Carnival Rides in Judsonia.  He told deputies someone broke into a building where a C.P. Hunnington electric train was stored and stole a large brass bell and a large brass whistle, each valued at $1,000. 

The crooks also removed panels from the train to gain access to the batteries.  According to the incident report , they were unable to remove the batteries but succeeded in causing $3,000 in damages to the train.

Choate said the thieves also took a large amount of rolled up copper wire, valued at $1,000.

Two days later, on July 27, an employee of Dawn Electric reported someone had stolen “500 pounds of clean #1 copper, 100 pounds of unclean #1 copper and two large scrap batteries from his front yard” in Searcy.  He estimated the value at $1,800.

The next day a Griffithville man reported someone had removed $200 worth of copper wiring from his water well pump.  According to the incident report, the deputy investigating the theft found a set of pruning shears near the well that “appeared to have been used to cut the wiring.”

On July 30, a Bald Knob man, who was in the process of remodeling his rent house, said someone broke in and stole $5,000 worth of copper wiring from the home.  In the process, he told investigators, the crooks also damaged the house while “tearing out the copper.”  He estimated the damage at $1,500.

If you have any information on any of these thefts, call the White County Sheriff’s Office at (501) 279-6279.