Trevor Miller (l), Thomas Riddle

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (KPHO) -
Two Valley men are in custody in connection with the thefts of large quantities of copper wire and products in northern Arizona.

Thomas Stewart Riddle III, 29, of Mesa, and Trevor Tom Miller, 36, of Tempe, were arrested Tuesday on numerous charges, including burglary, possession of stolen property and criminal damage.

Coconino
County sheriff’s deputies say over the past two weeks, they have responded to numerous burglary calls for the theft of copper wire. One of the more significant thefts occurred at the Parks rest area off of eastbound Interstate Highway 40. The rest spot has been closed to public use for more than 18 months.

Detectives
launched an investigation that revealed the men allegedly entered and vandalized  buildings at the rest area. The men are accused of damaging drywall and existing plumbing to remove large quantities of copper piping. Thirty-three electrical boxes at the rest stop were also vandalized and hundreds of feet of cooper wiring were taken, sheriff’s deputies said.

Sheriff’s detectives placed covert surveillance equipment at the Parks rest stop in hopes the suspects would return. On Tuesday, the surveillance equipment alerted deputies and when they arrived, they found Riddle and Miller by a pickup truck. Witnesses said they saw Riddle walking inside the closed rest area.

A search warrant on Riddle’s truck was obtained and it led to the recovery of more than 50 individually rolled spools of copper wire of varying lengths and numerous five gallon buckets full of brass pipe fittings that appeared to have been cut with a power tool. Detectives also recovered several battery-operated power tools that are believed to have been used during  crimes and large amounts of copper piping that are similar to the piping taken from the rest area.

Recently there have been a rash of commercial irrigation and domestic water back-flow preventers stolen and sold for their scrap metal. While the scrap metal value for the brass and copper contained within these fittings is only about $50.00, day and night thieves are stealing as many as they can, sometimes twice from the same properties. Back-flow preventers are easily recognized, usually placed above ground along the street frontage for most commercial properties. The backflow preventer acts to prevent irrigation or other water from going back into the potable water source from the city in case of contamination. Most jurisdictions in Maricopa County have mandated the use of these valves in commercial buildings.

Backflow cage used for backflow theft prevention.

Thieves have posed as city employees wearing orange vests and have cut off the valve to the preventers using a battery powered sawzall. The whole process can take less than five to six minutes. These thefts have occurred in broad daylight and at prominent and visible locations. If yours is stolen, replacing it is very expensive and can cost as much as $2,000 to $4,000. Their removal will also interrupt water service for your property as well as create possible water damage caused by the water running uncontrolled through the open connection.

How to Protect Yourself

There is no perfect solution, but the following actions are being recommended by the ABPA, law enforcement, backflow installers, landscapers, and plumbing companies.

1. Enclose your backflow valve(s) with a protective cage (if you haven’t already).
2. Secure it with a tamper-proof lock (a “break-away” lock is easily opened and not recommended). In case of emergency, your maintenance crew should have a copy of the lock’s key.
3. The cage should be securely mounted to the cement pad on the ground and painted a desert color to match landscape.
4. Make sure the cage has lock guards to prevent their removal.
5. Stamp, label, or identify the metal with a recognizable code or name of your own.
6. Paint the unit with a desert color.
7. Post a visible warning that there is video surveillance on the units. Also on the signs something to the effect of “theft and damage to this unit will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.
8. Camouflage the unit by planting screening landscape a foot or so from the back-flow. This will make the unit less visible while still allowing for necessary maintenance access.
9. Record model number and serial numbers of all backflow devices.
10. Install a small wall to hide backflow devices.

The prices of the cages and installation vary according to design and size. We offer free estimates on all backflow products. For more information please call Dave @ 480-966-8795 I am a certified State of Arizona backflow device tester.  ABPA membership number R1461.