By FRANK LEWIS

PDT Staff Writer

Thieves looking to make a buck without working for it hit the construction site of the new Wheelersburg football field Tuesday. According to the Scioto County Sheriff’s report, a Mullins Construction foreman advised deputies that someone entered the site during the night and took about 26 rolls of 12-strand copper wire worth $1,979.

Mike Livingston of Livingston & Company, which deals in scrap metal, said the wire has not come through their company, and they have been on the lookout for it since being informed of the theft by Mullins Construction officials.

“Those pieces in particular are going to stick out like a sore thumb, because they are going to be 10- and 12-strand electric wire,” Livingston said. “Those guys are in for a real fast buck. They are not going to sell them whole unless they have somebody to sell them to, somebody who needs them the way they are.”

Livingston said most likely the thieves will set the wire on fire.

“When we see those, if somebody were to bring those in, they’re going to be in rolls. When they burn them they burn the insulation off, and we’ll see that it has just been off of a spool,” Livingston said. “If we would see it, what we would do is take that stuff from them, stall them, get their ID and customer number, license tag number, and then call the police, and stall them until the police showed up.”

Livingston said sometimes the thieves realize what is going on and run before police arrive. But he will still have the wiring, Identification information and license plate number, so authorities can track them.

Livingston said someone brought railroad merchandise in earlier in the week, and Livingston employees pulled a vehicle up on the scales, blocking the vehicle with the stolen merchandise until police arrived.

Livingston had a stern warning for thieves trying to sell stolen items.

“We like to make it known — just don’t bring it here, because we’re going to get you behind bars somewhere along the line,” Livingston said.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com.