South Valley copper thefts force closures, cause costly repairs for victims

PHOENIX — A string of copper thefts in the South Valley has left a local church and business with thousands of dollars in repairs.

At Family Christ Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee, all the lights in the parking lot are out after copper wiring was stripped from inside the fixtures.

Within the past week, Pastor Fred Gerlach said his church near 40th Street and Chandler Boulevard was hit by copper thieves twice.

The first incident happened last week, when he noticed exposed wiring coming out of each outdoor light. Then, on Friday morning, he said the thieves returned to finish the job, even pulling wiring from the ground.

“That’s how desperate they are,” Gerlach said. “If they knocked on my door, I probably would have given them more money than what they stole.”

He said the estimate from his insurance company to fix the damage is $7,000. A cost that will hurt the church and its small congregation.

“It’s a second home for a lot of people, lot of kids, and that’s our reputation. So when something like this happens, everybody feels a little violated,” he said. “It just makes me sad.”

The church is not the only target. At 8001 Nails and Spa, owner Tracy Nguyen said her shop was hit three separate times.

“We’re scared because he came back so many times,” Nguyen said.

Security camera footage from one of the incidents shows a suspect wearing a hoodie and a medical mask approaching a panel at the back of the shop and prying it open to remove wiring. The video also shows the suspect pushing a shopping cart to the back door. Nguyen said he used the cart to reach the building’s ladder and climb onto the roof to steal copper wiring there as well.

The theft forced her to close for two days for repairs costing more than $10,000.

“It’s a lot of money, and we’re a small business here,” she said.

Police were called, but the suspect was gone by the time officers arrived. Nguyen said she now worries the person will return and hopes someone can identify the suspect seen in the video.

At this time, it’s not clear whether the same suspect is responsible for both the church and business thefts.

Pastor Gerlach said he is now looking into installing security cameras around the church in hopes of preventing future incidents.

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