Aspinwall Police On Alert After Copper Thefts
ASPINWALL (KDKA) -- House for sale, nobody in it, and even if you see someone inside, you might assume it must be a real estate agent or a prospective buyer. That's just what burglars are counting on.
"Since Sunday, we've had two burglaries into residences," says Aspinwall Police Chief John Sabol.
Because so many homes are for sale at this time of year, Aspinwall Police sent out an automatic phone alert giving residents a heads-up.
"They all are for sale, on the market, and unoccupied," said Chief Sabol.
Copper piping was stripped from the basements of homes on Brilliant and Center Avenues, boiler pipes and main water lines.
"Broke the back door in, went out the front obviously, because they left the front door wide open," said Chief Sabol.
Rick Gigler, a plumber, was called in to replace the stolen material at one of the homes.
"It was copper, no tools, it looks like to me because everything was like pinched off lines and everything. They just yanked them; it's a mess in there," said Gigler.
Police are already checking with local scrap metal dealers.
KDKA's Mary Robb Jackson: "They haven't seen anything?"
Chief Sabol: "Nothing yet."
To avoid being a target, keep drapes pulled, put lights on a timer, and watch out for your neighbors.
Chief Sabol says, "We just ask that the public and residents be very conscious of any suspicious vehicles or people in town."
Allegheny County Detectives are joining Aspinwall Police in their investigation.
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