Shocking: Copper Theft Gone Wrong

NBC Bay Area ^ | 10/22/09 | LORI PREUITT

[nickcarraway]

The mean-spirited would call it Darwinism at work. A suspected thief got the shock of his life after apparently trying to steal copper.

The man is in a Northern California burn unit after his alleged robbery attempt when horribly wrong. Police were tipped to the crime by a power outage. Soon after the power went out someone called the Rodeo Fire Department to report a telephone pole fire.

As crews responded to the fire, they noticed a man walking down the street suffering from visible burns.

Investigators with the East Bay Regional Parks District say they think the man was trying to steal copper and accidental cut through a live line.

"In the rural areas of Contra Costa County, there is a theft of copper issue that has surfaced since the recession has begun. I would say it's dangerous and it's also theft," Dave Davidson with the park department.

A helicopter airlifted the victim/suspect to the UC Davis Burn Center. Doctors say he has second and third degree burns.

They hope to get more information after they interview the victim/suspect.

[NEMDF]

I like how they called him the “victim/suspect”.

[Halgr]

Another example of how our schools are failing.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I would be willing to bet dollars to donuts that the “victim/suspect” has no health insurance and an arrest record. So he has been piling expenses on the backs of taxpayers in the past and at present. And in a burn unit - the $ meter runs pretty fast.

[gubamyster]

Darwinism at work.

I hope that doesn’t make me mean-spiritied.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

He’s lucky, lots of people have been killed attempting to steal copper from live circuits.

[dfwgator]

“You’ll never take me alive, coppers!”

[TurtleUp]

The thief’s parents never taught him to conduct himself appropriately ... otherwise he would have resisted this temptation.

[TC Rider]

I love current events!

[tiki]

SOP for meth heads, the same thing happened here only the guy died.

[B Knotts]

Will he be charged?

[Halgr]

LOL

[SJSAMPLE]

Ohhhhhh SNAP!!!

Well played, Sir.

[I Buried My Guns]

Sadly, the local taxpayers paid for him to ride a helicopter at $900 an hour.

To a hospital, where any medical attention he receives is probably never going to be reimbursed.

[Hegemony Cricket]

"The thief’s parents never taught him to conduct himself appropriately ... otherwise he would have resisted this temptation."

Hey now, maybe he really didn't have the capacity to learn. He should be thankful he didn't diode.

[TurtleUp]

If my child ever did this, he’d be grounded for life.

[a fool in paradise]

Wonder how many fires have been started by such actions.

[a fool in paradise]

Do or Diode.

[a fool in paradise]

Actually this sounds like a copper theft gone RIGHT story.

[RFEngineer]

“Will he be charged?”

...with resisting