Slush Pile: Copper theif Shocked

2007 Slush Pile

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Copper theif Shocked

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

11:42 AM PDT, August 30, 2007

Two burglars in Anaheim getting in on the growing trend of stripping copper wire from abandoned buildings ended up bruised, burned and busted Wednesday night, according to police.

One of two men arrested in connection with the theft has been hospitalized at a trauma center after he cut into a live wire and caught fire. The 35-year-old man, whose name has not been released, is in critical condition, said Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Rick Martinez. The second man, 26-year-old Nathaniel Louis Paulo of Fullerton, had banged his head upon falling.

Officers were alerted to the incident at the old H. Koch & Sons building in the 5400 block of East La Palma Avenue by someone in the vicinity. When they arrived, they found the man on the ground, afire.

"This is not the first time that people have stolen copper wire, but in our case, it's probably the first one where someone has been electrocuted so seriously," Martinez said.

Copper prices have more than tripled in recent years. Worth less than $1 a pound in 2001, copper is now worth more than $3 a pound, driving a rash of thefts in vacant buildings, farms and even cemeteries. The Times reported in July that metal theft from California farmers had grown 400% between 2005 and 2006.

"Unfortunately, this is a real valuable lesson for those criminals out there who are stealing," Martinez said. "In their zeal to make money, they're running a very high risk of potentially fatal accidents."

Paulo is being held without bail in the Anaheim Detention Facility. He had been jailed in 2002 on drug possession charges and in 2006 for grand theft.

(I don't know if the thief has removed himself from the gene pool yet but he certainly won't be making any deposits in the near future!)

Mary Lou

Submitted on 08/30/2007

Submitted by: Mary Lou Echternach
Reference: Los Angeles Times, 8/30/07

>> Moderator Scores <<

James said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
Thanks for sending this in, Mary Lou! This is perhaps the 20th time this year alone we've received a story about botched copper wire theft! It's WAY too common to award individually, but we are keeping track of them as a whole...!

Chip said:
Definitely Toss: Too Common
Mary, as James said, electrocution during copper theft is one of the most common stories we get these days. This one is a bit funnier than most considering that he was ablaze when the officers arrived but I have to vote that this one is just too common. Thanks for sending the story and we hope you will send more in the future when you get the opportunity

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2007 Slush Pile

Copper theif Shocked

2007 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance