Copper stripped from air conditioning units atop shopping plaza
Twelve air conditioning units on the roof of a shopping plaza on Pine Island Road were vandalized and nearly all stripped of their copper, according to a police report.
Eight of the units were for a vacant building, once occupied by Circuit City, located at 1843 N.E. Pine Island Road. The copper coils had been removed on all of the eight units. The other four units were for neighboring vacant suites at the plaza. Only three of the units had been stripped of their copper parts.
The report states that on Monday, the property manager for the plaza went to check on the former Circuit City building. She attempted to turn on the air conditioning unit and it was “very loud and not cooling the building.” She then noticed daylight was coming through many holes in the roof of the building.
On Tuesday, an air conditioning company learned a sandbag had been placed over the roof access and the locks on the exterior access ladders had been removed. Upon gaining access to the roof, the property manager discovered the eight units had been vandalized, as well as the neighboring four units.
The air conditioning company estimated that it would cost more than $100,000 to replace the damaged units, according to the report. The property manager estimated it would cost approximately $100,350.
Anyone who has information about the crime can contact the Cape Coral Police Department at 574-3223. People can also call Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at (800) 780-TIPS (8477) and be eligible for a $1,000 cash reward if the tip leads to an arrest.