Police arrest copper burglar suspect at Apple's Campus 2 construction site
A man who snuck into Apple's spaceship Campus 2 construction site this weekend was accused of burglary after being found with copper pipes and wiring removed from the buildings.
According to a report by Henry Lee of the SF Chronicle, Apple's security patrol called in the police to investigate a burglary in progress Saturday evening.
The site is a former HP campus that Apple acquired in 2010 and actively began tearing down in August (below) in order to make room for its new research and design office complex in Cupertino.
Existing buildings on the site are being gutted, with valuable recyclables like copper being reclaimed for recycling. Vacant buildings are an attraction to thieves seeking to harvest copper pipes and wiring, which can fetch around $3 per pound.
Police called in a helicopter and K-9 unit to investigate the situation. They discovered a 56 year old man from Belmont hiding at the site, whom they attacked with their police dogs for failing to obey orders, the report stated.
A bag of tools was discovered near an exit gate along with the copper. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of burglary tools.
Apple recently received final approval to begin building Campus 2, including the project's signature 2.8-million-square-foot circular "spaceship" building and a series of supporting structures.
The site will host over 12,000 employees. Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said in February that he expects building to be completed by 2016.
According to a report by Henry Lee of the SF Chronicle, Apple's security patrol called in the police to investigate a burglary in progress Saturday evening.
The site is a former HP campus that Apple acquired in 2010 and actively began tearing down in August (below) in order to make room for its new research and design office complex in Cupertino.
Existing buildings on the site are being gutted, with valuable recyclables like copper being reclaimed for recycling. Vacant buildings are an attraction to thieves seeking to harvest copper pipes and wiring, which can fetch around $3 per pound.
Police called in a helicopter and K-9 unit to investigate the situation. They discovered a 56 year old man from Belmont hiding at the site, whom they attacked with their police dogs for failing to obey orders, the report stated.
A bag of tools was discovered near an exit gate along with the copper. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of burglary tools.
Apple recently received final approval to begin building Campus 2, including the project's signature 2.8-million-square-foot circular "spaceship" building and a series of supporting structures.
The site will host over 12,000 employees. Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said in February that he expects building to be completed by 2016.
Comments
That happens constantly here.
#recession
#recession
Irrelevant. Notice the lack of “hashtag” (pound sign, for sane people), which removes the air of nonchalance.
meth head
(sans pound sign - agree with Tallest Skil)
The guy stole copper pipe from a derelict building? Put him in the gallows! Display his photo all across the internet! Tar and feather him and fire him while you are at it.
Don't forget "attacked with their police dogs!" The guy almost certainly needs rehab, not multiple injuries.
The house next to my parents' is vacant and had the copper stolen recently - I think they caught the thieves - at $3 a pound I can't imagine they got more than a couple or few pounds out of a 1200 sq ft house. How desperate do you have to be for $20 or less to break in to a house to steal the plumbing and wiring?
Wire is heavier than you think, and there's a lot more used than you would think too. We got over $100 from wiring in an old model train layout.
That happens constantly here.
everywhere. For a long time.
And this story has no AI legs. Agree with Tallest Skil
Wire is heavier than you think, and there's a lot more used than you would think too. We got over $100 from wiring in an old model train layout.
Granted if you could properly strip an entire house - that could add up - or an industrial location where you might be able to grab raw product off a pallet you might get dozens or hundreds of pounds - but in a smash and grab in a house - the basement is the only area where the pipes are likely to be exposed - not that thieves care how much damage they do to the property in the process.
if this is correct - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-1-2-in-x-10-ft-Copper-Type-L-Pipe-LH04010/100354232#.Up3uaZFaEs0 - that means less than 3 pounds for 10 feet of 1/2" plumbing - in my house you could only get maybe 20 feet without ripping down ceilings and walls - and maybe a couple more pounds for a section of copper drain pipe - so perhaps 10 pounds maybe - at $3 per pounds that is maybe $30. I have no idea what any given street drug goes for - but if you have accomplices and have to split that two or three ways - maybe that gets through a day or two? Not that I am accusing any drug addict of thinking clearly - but I cannot fathom how that makes any sense - you risk your life in several ways while committing the crime - you could be injured (in fact one of the thieves next door to my parents left some blood evidence at the scene) - you could be shot if someone does happen to be home or a neighbor hears you and decides to check out the noise - or if the police catch you in the act you could be shot by them or arrested either at the scene or later.
A couple of guys decided to try to rob the local scrap yard - they were not expecting the owner to be armed.
Apple shouldn't be cutting corners with plain old copper wiring. Gold wiring is the way to go.
All the wires in Apple Campus 2 will be made of stanene. They’ll also be shifting their A-series processors to use stanene instead of silicon.
Would the police have sent a helicopter if this wasn't Apple property?
The house next to my parents' is vacant and had the copper stolen recently - I think they caught the thieves - at $3 a pound I can't imagine they got more than a couple or few pounds out of a 1200 sq ft house. How desperate do you have to be for $20 or less to break in to a house to steal the plumbing and wiring?
I guess if you have no money and no food, $20 is a lot.
Irrelevant. Notice the lack of “hashtag” (pound sign, for sane people), which removes the air of nonchalance.
Actually, it's called an octothorp.
It's obvious this guy is a meth addict. People will do anything for the drugs they are addicted to.