Four Copper Thefts Reported Recently in Whitehall

Copper Thefts

Copper thieves have hit Duquesne Light's Elwyn Power Station in Whitehall Borough three times this month, Whitehall police Deputy Chief Richard M. Danko said.

As with similar Jan. 20 and Jan. 4 reports, Duquesne Light corporate security personnel contacted Whitehall police this past Saturday to report that one or more people had recently broken into the power station on Earlsdale Road and removed copper wiring.

Most recently removed was ground wire in 20-to-25 different places, often in areas of high voltage, Danko said, and a spool of copper wire weighing approximately 500 pounds. The spool is valued at around $5,000, Danko said, while the other copper taken is valued between $1,000 and $2,000.

Police are investigating the thefts.

More Copper Theft

Whitehall police received a burglary call at around 10:49 a.m. on Wednesday from a maintenance employee of a building in the 1500 block of Radford Road in the Wallace (Prospect) Park area, Danko said.

The employee said that he noticed that a rear door was kicked in at the building next to the one that he was working at and that an assortment of copper pipes had been taken from that building's plumbing system.

The owners of the building have been made aware of the break-in, but an estimated value of the copper is not yet known.

The incident is under investigation.

Warrant for Man Leaving Princess Lanes

A Jefferson Hills Borough man was taken into custody by Whitehall police and turned over to constables from West Mifflin Borough after leaving the scene of a disturbance at the Princess Lanes bowling alley in Caste Village on Thursday, Danko said.

Police responded to the bowling alley at around 10 that night and learned that two of the individuals involved in a verbal altercation there had recently left the area.

Police obtained a description of the individuals' car and stopped it on nearby Baptist Road for further investigation, Danko said.

One of the car's occupants—Jesse James Bernard, 20, of 211 Tangelo Dr. in Jefferson Hills—was found to have an outstanding warrant from West Mifflin police for one count each of escape, corruption of minors, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and underage drinking, Danko said.

No one was charged with offenses from the bowling alley disturbance.

Read through other Whitehall police items here.

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