Thieves Go After Valuable Metals
By Ruby Gonzales
Thieves have sneaked into utility substations and pulled copper wire from the ground.
They’ve stripped vacant buildings of pipes and wires, pried manhole covers off streets, and have driven off with big-rigs containing thousands of pounds of steel coils.
Still, their appetite for metal that can be sold for scrap goes unabated. And now, according to scrap-metal industry officials, metal thieves are expanding their illicit menu to include iron and steel items essential to cities’ infrastructure.
Thefts have been reported not only in the Southland but across the country, experts say.
Beyond the dollars lost, the results have been manholes missing their covers, electrical outages that have left thousands in the dark, disruptions to area businesses — and even a local death.
With an ongoing and increasing domestic and overseas demand for certain metals triggering jumps in prices, it’s not difficult to see why the lucrative black market in stolen metals continues to grow.
Consider that in 2003 a pound of copper went for 76 cents, aluminum for 62 cents, lead 21 cents and zinc 36 cents. Last December, copper was selling for $3.02 a pound, aluminum for $1.11, lead for $1.17 and zinc for $1.07.
But as of May, the price of copper jumped again — to $3.74 a pound; aluminum was selling at $1.34 a pound; lead was going for $1.02; and zinc was selling for $1.01 a pound.
Iron and steel prices also have nearly doubled. Last December, iron and steel were selling for $270.83 a ton — now they’re going for $519.17 a ton.
The main targets of thieves are copper, iron and steel, according to Bruce Savage, spokesman for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based group that is the national trade association for the industry. It has about 1,600 members.
According to Savage the overseas demand for the metals comes primarily from Brazil, Russia, India and China.
“They have their own infrastructure needs and are also manufacturing economies. The demand is outstripping the supply,” Savage said.
The group started noticing the surge in metal thefts two years ago. Savage believes organized rings are involved in the thefts. Local law enforcement agencies believe the thieves run the gamut — from junkies in need of quick cash to sophisticated crooks with the equipment and know-how to steal tons of metal.
And thieves who have swiped copper, bronze, steel and aluminum have recently expanded their want-list.
Last month, the institute issued a news release alerting cities and counties about a potential new wave of thefts targeting iron and steel items like manhole covers and sewer or stormwater grates.
Long Beach has seen about 50 manhole covers taken from its streets. Long Beach police Sgt. Dina Zapalski said so far, there have been no arrests.
Sometime between May 23 and 25, thieves broke into a Budway yard in Long Beach and hotwired six tractor trailers containing steel coils with a total value of $150,000. The big rigs, emptied of their cargos, were later found in Whittier, Long Beach, Carson and Los Angeles.
Sgt. Rodney Johnson of the sheriff’s Cargo Criminal Apprehension Team said a month ago, a truck driver parked his rig containing 23 tons of steel on the street and returned to find it gone.
He thinks it happened in either Rancho Dominguez or Carson.
“I doubt if it’s one person. It’s several. I don’t know whether it’s a ring or a loose knit (group),” Johnson said.
He said the thieves obviously had a place to take the stolen flatbed truck.
In the Whittier and San Gabriel Valley communities, copper is the metal of choice for thieves.
Twice this month, someone took copper wiring from electrical boxes at Little League fields in Hacienda Heights.
On Tuesday afternoon, unknown suspects removed the fuses from an electrical panel in the 2000 block of Huntington Drive in South Pasadena then took the copper wire.
Sgt. C.J. Sciacca of the sheriff’s Industry Station said he’s seen an increase in metal thefts, especially copper.
“Copper is very, very high,” Sciacca said, adding that copper wires and backfill valves for sprinkler systems get stolen.
Sciacca said the thieves could include those operating solo or in rings.
“There’s a huge price for it. Most importantly, there’s a huge demand for it,” Sciacca said.
Pasadena police Cmdr. Eric Mills said thieves have primarily targeted construction sites in his city.
Whittier police Cpl. Brad White said culprits have even chopped power poles to steal copper wire.
“If it’s not nailed down, they’ll steal copper. If it’s copper, it’s gone,” White said.
Peter Berokoff, manager of Asco Metals in Santa Fe Springs, said he sees more copper coming in because the price is so high. The price ranges from $1 to $3 depending on the type of copper it is or if the insulation has been removed from the wire, he said.
“We don’t buy stolen stuff,” Berokoff said.
But he pointed out that there is no way to identify if copper wire has been stolen. There are no identifying marks.
Recyclers are only required right now to check the seller’s ID.
El Monte police Lt. Ken Alva said his agency has an investigator check metal recyclers.
“(The detective) conducts random visits with them to check for copper wiring and other metal that could be stolen,” he said.
He said police also have recommended to victims to permanently mark wires if replacing the stolen wiring.
“One of the issues is that often times, the wire is stripped bare (by thieves). And as far as I know, there’s no way to mark copper wire that’s been unsheathed of insulation,” Alva said.
While lucrative, stealing metal is fraught with danger.
On March 31, a man was electrocuted when he tried to steal copper wire from a vacant building on North Maxson Road in El Monte.
El Monte police believe the man climbed up behind the power panel, which was still charged. There was an explosion.
“He was burned beyond recognition. So much so, it was hard to distinguish there was a human being at the control panel,” Alva said.
And in La Mirada, a man suffered burns to his hands and was shocked when he allegedly tried to steal copper wiring from an Edison substation last month.
But the man apparently returned the next week for another attempt. He was more successful the second time but was caught when he tried to sell the wires at a recycling center where it was recognized as Edison property.
Thieves also have caused thousands of dollars in damage, as well as inconvenience to residents and businesses.
The culprits who took 300 feet of copper wiring from a Southern California Edison substation on Beverly Boulevard in Pico Rivera caused the utility company to shut down the facility for repairs on Monday.
It left 19,581 customers in West Whittier and Pico Rivera without electricity for three hours and 14 minutes.
ruby.gonzales@sgvn.com
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