Suspected Copper Thief Severely Burned
By Emily Tsao, The Dallas Morning News
Aug. 2–A man suspected of trying to steal copper wiring was severely burned Friday morning atop a utility pole he had climbed, authorities said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Sherrie Lopez said the man had been hit with about 7,000 volts of electricity, possibly twice. His rescue was hindered because his flesh had melded with metal on the pole near Irving.
James Buster McKay, 51, was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. He faces a felony charge of criminal mischief.
About 4:30 a.m., Dallas police were notified that a man was stuck on the utility pole in the 800 block of Regal Row. Police said Oncor Electric Delivery was notified about an outage in the area around that time. The man may have grabbed a wire when power was being restored, Dallas police Cpl. Gerry Monreal said.
When crews arrived, they found cut wires on the ground and Mr. McKay stuck between transformers on the pole, police said.
Rescuers used a ladder truck to lower him shortly before 7 a.m., and he was taken to Parkland. He suffered third-degree burns on about 50 percent of his body, Ms. Lopez said.
“There is no amount of copper that is worth the pain this man is going to have to endure,” she said.
Mr. McKay has an extensive criminal record that includes three arrests last year, one of which resulted in his pleading guilty to metal theft.
Police said Friday’s incident caused more than $10,000 in damage.
Copper thefts have been a pervasive problem throughout North Texas as the price of the metal attracts those looking to make a quick buck. Thieves steal copper from a number of items, including street lights, air-conditioning units and electrical transformers, and trade in the valuable metal for cash at recycling businesses.
The thefts have affected businesses large and small. Oncor said the company suffered about $1 million in losses from such thefts last year. So far this year, more than $400,000 has been lost, the company said.
In May, the Dallas City Council approved stricter measures governing the sale of scrap metal to recycling businesses.
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