This is not unusual, and happens from time to time. Not every day, mind you, but often enough to remind the rest of us why we shouldn’t be stealing copper. Especially copper that is still connected to the utility’s system.
Last year, some mexicans used a chainsaw to cut down a power pole with a transformer on it near my workplace. I guess transformers have about 200 lbs of copper wire in them. WE had no power at work for half a day, till the power company could send someone out to run jumper wires from one wire to the other on another pole.
As far as I know, no one was hurt while cutting down the power pole and stealing the transformer.