Businesses have reopened at Park Central Mall in Phoenix Tuesday after copper thieves stole dozens of expensive water pipes Monday. Phoenix police said the crime may be connected to a series of recent metal thefts in the area.
When employees showed up for work early Monday at Park Central restaurants and coffee houses, they found out their water had been turned off. Phoenix Police Sergeant Trent Crump said that is because thieves were able to get into a utility room on the roof of the mall.
"There were several hundred feet of copper that were cut out and ultimately what it ended up doing was causing a water outage until it could be repaired to a number of businesses that were in that complex,” said Crump.
He said there has been a series of similar copper thefts reported at other businesses in the Park Central area. Crump said there are no suspects, and he is urging business owners to make sure their rooftops are not easily accessible to would-be thieves who target air conditioners and water systems.