Shocking News
If you don't mind breaking the law, selling stolen copper wire is still a popular way to make a quick buck. I ran into Police Chief Jim Bueermann after Tuesday's City Council meeting and he compared the thieves to locusts.
But the prospect of jail isn't the only downside to this kind of criminal career. There's a decent chance of getting electrocuted.
"It is amazing that they do not fry," the chief said.
A recent wire theft ended with a bang. Here's an excerpt from the PD's press release on a Sunday theft.
"A number of Redlands residents were left without power briefly Sunday, Oct. 14, a result of the theft from equipment at a Southern California Edison substation near High Avenue and 6th Street. Edison crews were forced to take some of the equipment offline while they made repairs. The late-morning outage lasted about 45 minutes.
"One of the pieces of equipment showed damage consistent with an electrical explosion that probably occurred when the wiring was cut. The explosion likely would have injured anyone nearby, but a search turned up no suspect nor signs of injury nearby.
"Police issued an alert to local hospitals to be on the lookout for anyone admitted with injuries consistent with such an explosion."
The thieves don't always get away. In August, The Sun reported the death of a man who was apparantly electrocuted while trying to rip off copper wire from an Edison plant in Colton.
So here's a little bit of information for anyone considering a career in wire theft. Copper wire is valuable because it conducts electricity.Electricity can kill you. So maybe, just maybe, stealing wire isn't such a great idea.