Water-Wasting Brass Thief Caught On Video
BROWARD COUNTY (CBS4) -- The Broward Sheriff's Office is searching for a man who's not only a criminal but a major water waster.
Surveillance video just released by BSO shows the prolific late-night thief in action. The video shows a white Ford Crown Victoria sedan with chrome hubcaps and dark tinted windows pull up outside of a business, right before the thief jumps out and steals a valuable brass valve called a "backflow preventer."
Due to the fact that the water wasting brass thief usually strikes at night, the damaged pipes gush countless gallons of water before the problem is discovered.
In the video, the man uses an ax-like tool in a chopping motion. As he cuts the backflow preventer from the pipes, the sound of gushing water can be heard, a disturbing sound to drought-stricken South Floridians who have been trying to diligently conserve water for months.
There have been about 100 such thefts this month all over Broward County. Each valve is worth about $230, according to Broward Sheriff's Office detectives. It's unclear if the same person is responsible for all of the thefts, but the Crown Victoria has been seen at other sites.
Anyone with information about the suspect or information about the thefts is asked to contact Det. Armando Hernandez at (954) 202-3121 or report information anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Broward County at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or online at www.browardcrimestoppers.org.
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
