Nearly $30,000 worth of copper was reportedly stolen from two LaGrange businesses this week. Police are investigating thefts from Sewon America and Dow Jones.
According to police, a security guard from Sewon America, located at 1000 Sewon Boulevard, reported 3,000 copper pieces stolen from the manufacturing company Tuesday.
A Dow Jones production manager reported a similar incident Thursday, after he said $6,000 worth of copper electric cables went missing from the business, located at 1202 Orchard Hill Road.
No arrests have been made and there is no evidence to show the incidents are related, Sergeant Robert Kirby said.
“We have these thefts frequently,” Kirby said. “The turnaround for copper is good.”
According to police, unoccupied buildings, abandoned warehouses and air conditioning units are common targets for copper theft.
Sergeant Marshall McCoy said the current cost of copper, along with construction, could be contributing factors in the incidents.
Sewon America, LaGrange’s major Kia motor part supplier, located at 1000 Sewon Boulevard, is currently under construction and open 24/7.
“It’s not uncommon when buildings are being worked on,” McCoy said. “There has been a lot of movement as they expand.”
Construction usually involves work, deliveries and other activity that bypasses through security. McCoy said seemingly efficient security exceptions make entering and exiting a building unnoticed much easier.
The Dow Jones production manager told police the plant is being organized and rearranged. The missing copper cables, which belong to a printing press, are approximately 6 feet long and almost 2 inches thick, according to a report.
Earlier this month, police responded to a report of copper theft at Daeha America, located less than 3 miles from Sewon.
Two employees said copper materials were stolen from a second-floor storage room.
Stolen copper must be tracked and identified before thefts are solved.
“It’s very difficult,” McCoy said. “Precious metals have no specific marks.”
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