Fishers PD looks for copper thieves

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) - Fishers Police are looking for the people who left business owners without air conditioning and a building owner with a hefty repair bill.

At Kool Kids Korner in Fishers the ceiling fans are on full blast to circulate the air. The temperature is much cooler inside the shop than it was over the weekend.
Police said someone had deliberately left the consignment shop without air conditioning.

"Thieves had removed copper from their rooftop air conditioning units," said Fishers Police Officer Tom Weger.

Investigators said sometime Saturday or Sunday several businesses on Village Square Lane were hit by thieves. In all 5 units were damaged.

"Everyone on them has been torn into and all the copper has been removed," said Karla Bruce.

Bruce owns Kool Kids Korner.

"I didn't know until 3 o'clock in the afternoon we've been opening the doors and the guys from the Indian Restaurant came down and knocked on the back door and said are you aware that your air conditioning is gone," she said.

"The price of copper is on the rise, so it can be a little bit more lucrative for thieves," Officer Weger said.

We checked the current price for copper in Indiana and the listed commodity price is currently between $3.50 and $4.00 a pound. But who ever took the cooper from the air conditioning units left the strip mall owner with a $21-thousand dollar repair bill.

Corrie Case also also owns a shop in the strip mall. She alerted police and the strip mall owner to the crime. Case said they're now thinking of ways to avoid becoming victims again.

"The newer units; they are putting alarms on them so the perpetrators out there don't necessarily know if it is alarmed or not," Case said.

Investigators said although the suspects targeted businesses, homeowners should also be on alert and take precautions.

A heating and cooling company has already installed new units. Fishers police are asking people to keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles in their neighborhoods.

Anyone with information should call police at 317-773-1282.