Slush Pile: 2 men badly burned during apparent

2007 Slush Pile

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2 men badly burned during apparent

2007 Reader Submission
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RADFORD -- Authorities responding to a report of gunshots early Thursday morning found two men badly burned from what's being attributed to a break-in gone terribly wrong.

Stephen Edward Bakaitis, 46, and his stepson, Christopher Brandon Goad, 24, both of Radford, suffered massive electrical burns over 60 percent or more of their bodies during what police believe was an attempt to steal copper wire from the now-closed Radford Foundry.

Police Chief Gary Harmon said the gunshot-like sounds must have occurred when the two men were shocked by electric current as one or both of them cut into a 4,160-volt wire using a hacksaw, which was found at the scene.

Harmon said the victims' injuries were severe and appeared to him to be life-threatening. The men suffered second- and third-degree burns and were airlifted by Carilion's Life-Guard 11 helicopter to the DeCamp Burn Center at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in Charlottesville.

A spokesperson at the burn center said Thursday night that both victims were in critical condition.

The Radford Police Department issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying Bakaitis was able to climb down from the building after he was burned. Fire crews used a ladder to bring Goad down from the foundry roof area.

Bakaitis told officers at the scene that he and Goad had entered the property intending to steal copper wire, police Capt. Jim Lawson said.

Supporting evidence was found, including the hacksaw and a flashlight.

Lawson said rescue efforts were delayed until electricity to the building was shut off. The property off Main Street is completely fenced, with "Danger High Voltage" signs posted around it.

No charges had been filed against either victim as of Thursday afternoon. "We'll just take it where the investigation leads," Harmon said.

According to court records, a Christopher Brandon Goad was convicted Sept. 28 in Radford on a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property and, on March 22, of entering property illegally. He was fined $100 and given a 30-day suspended sentence the first time, and got a 12-month suspended sentence on the second charge, which had been reduced from grand larceny.

The Radford Foundry, owned by Intermet, ceased operations in late 2004, idling more than 370 workers. The neighboring New River Foundry, also owned by Intermet, still produces cast-iron products for the automotive industry.

Intermet's parent company is Q Investments, with headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Company spokesman Allen Miller said the Radford Foundry has not been used for any operations since it closed, and the people injured were not Intermet employees.

Harmon said there have been thefts involving copper wire at two other sites in Radford within the past year. He said the value of copper wire has nearly quadrupled in recent years.

Lawson added there have been previous vandalism and theft complaints at the foundry since it closed three years ago, including thefts of aluminum and copper wiring.

Copper wire has become a target of thieves across the country as its value has gone up.

Twenty tons of copper wire were stolen in Henry County in April, the largest in a number of such thefts in Western Virginia. Investigators estimated the salvage value of that theft at $160,480.

Last year, Roanoke police reported at least a dozen copper theft cases. The rising cost of copper arises from several factors, including heavy demand for the metal from China and India to labor disputes at mines in Mexico and Indonesia.

Staff writers Shawna Morrison and Amanda Codispoti contributed this report.

Submitted on 07/13/2007

Submitted by: Sandra Farmer
Reference: Roanoke Times--Roanoke.com on 12 July 2007

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Neutral: Honorable Mention
While copper theft (and as a result, incidents like this) have become all too common in recent years this one may just squeak by. The fact that the building was surrounded by a fence and "high voltage" signs says to me that these mooks should have known better. A 4,000 volt cable is also going to be fairly thick so they should have known it potentially carried high voltages, and I would think any sane person would do some sort of testing to see if it was live before cutting into it with a hacksaw. Let's see what the other moderators have to say.

James said:
Maybe Toss: Too Common
There are usually "high voltage" signs posted conspicuosly at nearly every facility in which such an attempt was made. Furthermore, they are still alive. It seems no amount of warning or precedent will deter such gentry, and we can expect to see many more of this sort of incident as time passes. Thanks just the same, Sandra, we DO appreciate it

Chip said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
While the mental image of using a hacksaw to cut through live wire boggles me, it is just to common a story these days. Thanks for sending it in, Sandra

Jorge said:
Neutral: Honorable Mention

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2007 Slush Pile

2 men badly burned during apparent

2007 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance