Friday, April 24th 2015, 9:52 pm
Security cameras rolled as an accused thief was seen stealing something police said was unusual.
They're called backflow preventers, usually found on sprinkler systems. The heist at two south side businesses took just seconds.
A stolen backflow preventer could turn into a pricey inconvenience for businesses and homeowners.
News 9 was told it's not always easy to cash in on the part, but thieves are finding a way.
“When we came up this morning, we noticed that there was a water leak, and we just thought that the system had ruptured a line,” said Paul Frownfelter.
Paul Frownfelter at local lawn care company, Agrilawn, Inc. arrived to work to find water shooting up more than three feet into the air.
“After we got it shut off, we said, ‘Well, let's go look at the cameras to see what may have transpired,'” said Frownfelter.
They couldn't believe what they caught on camera.
You see flashing lights in front of the camera view, and then a man pulled up in a van next to the businesses caged air conditioning units.
“He jumped out, just one quick kick of the backflow preventer on top of the two pipes,” said Frownfelter. “Kicked it off, took it, took the insulation off, threw it in the van.”
Unlike air conditioner coil that is contained, these parts were out in the open and can be cut or kicked off in just seconds.
At some point, Paul said they believe the same man was responsible for breaking into an employee's SUV left overnight in the parking lot.
“The window was smashed and the stereo component was taken out from there,” said Frownfelter.
“As I pulled up and stuff, I noticed the pipe with the water coming out of it, it was probably five or six foot high coming out of the pipe,” said Mitch Allen, owner of AAA Electrical Contractors.
Mitch Allen, across the street, said his backflow preventer was also stolen Thursday night.
“There was water actually rushing down the street,” said Allen.
And, police believe it was the same guy.
“Oh yeah, it was calculated. He knew exactly how to get it off there quick,” said Frownfelter.
A new backflow preventer can cost anywhere from $300 to $500 to replace.
Call Crime Stoppers at (405) 235-7300 if you have any information on these thefts.
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