ERMUSR Misc Issues 08-22-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Close Window Send To Printer Article Launched: 7/10/2006 08:02 AM aurora Price of scrap includes death Aurora police say a man electrocuted Sunday may have been trying to break into a transformer in search of copper, the price of which has soared in recent months. By Felisa Cardona Denver Post Staff Writer DenverPost.com A body found in an Aurora field provided grim evidence that the soaring price of scrap copper has would-be thieves taking extraordinary risks. A man, whose identity was not released Monday, apparently was electrocuted late Sunday night as he broke into an electrical transformer in search of copper wiring. "He's a victim of his own miscalculations," Aurora police Sgt. Rudy Herrera said. Denver firefighters found the body in a field in the 19600 block of East 64th Avenue in Aurora after 11 p.m. Sunday. Rescue workers were called to the area by a man who accompanied the victim to the transformer. Police questioned him regarding the theft and the electrocution and let him go, but the case remains under investigation, Herrera said. Police throughout the metro area have seen copper thefts rise along with the price of the metal, especially on construction sites. The price of copper is hovering around $3.50 a pound, according to the New York Mercantile Exchange. Since 2003, copper's prices have nearly tripled as supply, largely from Chile, failed to keep pace with increasing construction demand. "It's just simply for profit. That is the bottom line," Herrera said. "It would seem that this is at least somewhat profitable because folks continue to do it. In this case, this man risked his life in order to get his hands on some of that copper." The theft of other metals, such as aluminum and silver, is also popular as their prices increase. Recently in Westminster, thieves stole sections of aluminum bleachers from Wolff Run Park. Even stamping the city's seal on bleachers did not stop a recycler from accepting them, police said. In May, a man was trapped after several copper pipes fell on his leg while he was trying to steal them in Centennial. The man was accompanied by his pregnant wife and 20-month-old child. His family had to call for help. The Aurora transformer that was broken into Sunday belongs to Xcel Energy, but the company believes that it's the first time an attempted theft like that has occurred. "Quite frankly, there is kind of a natural sense here that you are probably not going to take metals from live equipment," said Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz. "I don't know if he thought it was not active, but there is a sound generated when electricity is flowing. We don't usually see this. It's pretty rare, and we hope it stays that way." The Adams County Coroner's Office is expected to perform an autopsy to determine how the man died. Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or ~ardonaC~denve~o~_~Qm.