Kitchener Man Arrested After $40K Damage in Guelph Copper Theft Attempt

What started as a routine morning quickly turned into a costly discovery for a Guelph business. Police say the damage left behind far outweighed what was actually taken.

A Kitchener man has been arrested after nearly $40,000 in damage was done to a Guelph business during a theft attempt.

The morning of January 26 the manager of a business near Edinburgh Road North and Willow Road contacted police after arriving at work in the morning to find the heating was not working. A technician attended and found extensive damage had been done to two of three rooftop units. It appeared copper wire valued at less than $100 had been cut and removed from one of the units.

The cost to repair each unit was estimated at $19,000.

Security video showed a man lowering a ladder from the roof approximately 3:15 a.m. and climbing down. The ladder and a reciprocating saw were left behind.

On Friday a 55-year-old Kitchener man was arrested for mischief over $5,000, disguise with intent, possessing break-in instruments and breaching a bail order. He will appear in bail court May 1. (Occurrence number GU26005853)