A considerable amount of copper wire stolen from a Vernon business has RCMP asking for the public’s assistance.
Police responded to a report at 8:20 a.m. Sunday of five rolls of copper wire being stolen from the B.C. Hydro compound on Kal Lake Road.
“Significant skid marks found in the yard were from something large being dragged, and that’s consistent with the big spools,” said Vernon RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk.
The wire was industrial size, but Molendyk did not have a value figure for the wire.
Tire patterns found at the scene were consistent with a front-end loader-type vehicle being used in the theft, and police did find such a vehicle still running behind the Finning yard, located across the street and north from the Hydro yard.
Molendyk said police believe the loader was likely used in the Hydro theft.
Later on Sunday, shortly before noon, police received a report that Kevin’s Roofing, located in the 2200 block of 18th Avenue, just north of Hydro, had its locked compound broken into.
A white 2006 International flatdeck truck with an orange hiab, or crane, on the back was stolen from the compound.
“Evidence found at that business leads our officers to believe that the thefts from Hydro and the roofing compound can be linked together,” said Molendyk.
In Kelowna, shortly after midnight on Sunday, two men were arrested in a suspected stolen truck carrying copper wire.
Two spools from the Hydro yard theft in Vernon were in that truck.
The two men are in custody.
Three spools remain unaccounted for, and the truck stolen from Kevin’s Roofing had not been located as of Monday.
Anybody with any information on the thefts is asked to call the Vernon RCMP at 250-545-7171, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Tips can also be left on the Crime Stoppers’ website at www.nokscrimestoppers.com.
