The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office has made several arrests recently in connection with metal thefts, with the sheriff calling them just the tip of the iceberg in a growing crime trend.

“There’s the question: Where is this stuff going? Our goal is to apprehend the folks involved. We arrested two or three involved in copper thefts, but, then again, I’m quite certain this is not the network of all of it that’s going on,” Sheriff Larry Williams said.

On June 30, a 17-year-old Orangeburg man was arrested and charged with petty larceny and trespassing. Bond was set at $1,130 for each charge and the 17-year-old has since been released.

He was arrested after a Hideaway Drive homeowner claimed he saw four people on his property, and discovered a pile of metal and other miscellaneous items piled up in a field. The arresting officer said the 17-year-old informed him that he was the one responsible for taking the items while the other three individuals were just in the car with him, according to an OCSO incident report.

The report also stated that one of the juveniles, however, admitted to helping the 17-year-old load items into the vehicle. The officer reported finding scrap metal and a cylinder in the vehicle.

In a separate incident on the same day, two Moncks Corner men were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary and malicious injury to real property valued at more than $1,000 in connection with an incident at a Vance home. The men have each been placed on a $50,000 surety bond and are currently being held at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Detention Center.

An OCSO incident report alleges that the two were still in a Vance Road home when officers arrived. Upon entry in the back door, officers noticed copper wire on the kitchen floor.

Piles of copper wire taken from the home’s electrical wiring system were discovered throughout the home, along with copper tubing from the home’s washer, sink and bathroom areas. Two gloves, a screwdriver and bolt cutters were also found at the scene, the incident report stated.

Officers said when they searched the duo’s gold Cadillac Catera, they found a large amount of copper wire in the trunk.

In a third incident on July 1, a Rowesville couple is facing petty larceny and other charges in connection with the alleged theft of stainless steel pieces valued at approximately $200 from a Shillings Bridge Road residence.

They were also charged with possessing instruments of crime, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony and resisting arrest. The woman was additionally charged with obstruction of justice. Both have since been released on bond.

The incident report indicates that while driving down Shillings Bridge Road, the homeowner observed the couple’s Ford Expedition coming out of his yard. The homeowner said he noticed a piece of metal belonging to him after it had fallen from the couple’s SUV onto the road.

The homeowner said as they were loading the piece back onto their vehicle, he warned them that he was calling the police. He then followed the couple down the road, the report stated.

The vehicle was later spotted at an Orangeburg apartment complex. Upon search of the vehicle, officers said they found it loaded with several stainless steel pieces.

Williams said the theft of copper and other metals has become a lucrative business for criminals.

“The economy is weak. They’re looking for ways to make some money, and that’s how they’re doing it. They’re taking air conditioners and anything they can find with those metals in it,” Williams said. “We’re looking forward to trying to get some more people arrested and to try to help the victims that have been hit.”

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534.

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