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Air Conditioner Thieves Sought In Troy Hill

TROY HILL (KDKA) - Police questioned two people Tuesday morning following two more attempted air conditioner thefts in Troy Hill.

No arrests have been made, but the neighborhood is on high alert after businesses and homes had their air conditioners ripped apart in the past week.

With little more than pipes left, the Kardells said this is the third time someone has come to their house in recent days, trying to steal parts and copper from their air conditioner.

Last night, they didn't let the suspect go without a fight.

"I [saw] him kneeling there and I told him, 'Don't move, don't move, don't move,'" Kardell said.

Steve Kardell was tired of being a victim.

He grabbed his handgun and confronted a man trying to steal the remaining pipes from what was left of his air conditioner.

"He was working on it. You can see the teeth marks," Kardell said.

Steve fired two shots into the ground to scare the suspect who was described as wearing a dark, hooded-sweatshirt and possibly in his early 20s.

The two then got into a scuffle as Kardell tried to hold the man until police arrived. His wife, Pat, nervously watched from inside the house.

"Steve came down and had a confrontation with him. He was holding him, but he kept struggling and the young man did get away," Pat Kardell said.

Earlier, around 2 a.m., there was another attempted air conditioner theft just a few blocks away.

A similar suspect description was given to police.

According to police, they did recover a tool at the Kardells' home, which was possibly used by the suspect. It's currently being processed.

Police said they are actively talking with local scrap yards to see if anything has been turned in in recent days.

It is believed that the air conditioning units are being targeted because of the copper inside.

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