TUMWATER, Wash. — Just ahead of a western Washington heatwave, detectives from three neighboring police agencies are working together to solve a series of thefts involving air conditioning and water system backflow units.
More than 20 cases have been reported across the three cities since April.
”It was fairly frustrating, yeah, a little violation going on. What’s he doing with my AC unit,” said Dr. Ron Wilcox.
Wilcox's Tumwater office, Family Chiropractic, had four units gutted in May.
Police believe the units are being stripped for their copper wire and sold as scrap metal.
The replacements are now on his roof, in an attempt to keep thieves away. He said the extra cost will be worthwhile.
”You know we were going to paint the building this year, we think we’ll do it next year,” said Wilcox.
Thieves hit a construction site in Lacey last month, and more than 20 office complexes and warehouses in Olympia and Tumwater dating back to May.
Prosecutors charged a man and woman earlier this month, linking them to a series of AC-related burglaries at the old Department of Transportation quarters in Tumwater, but no other arrests have been reported.
The remaining incidents remain unsolved, according to spokespeople from the three agencies.
Large units, used to heat and cool warehouse spaces leased by state agencies, will take months to replace, according to property managers at the Tumwater locations used by the state of Washington.
Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of South Sound.