RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) -- A South Richmond homeowner says thieves snuck into the crawl space beneath her home and ripped out all of the copper pipes.
Howard Spurlock, the homeowner's father, said the brazen crooks hit his daughter's home on Powell Road on Monday.
Spurlock said his daughter first realized there was a problem when the water wouldn't come on in her home. She called a plumbing company to figure out what was the matter.
"The two plumbers went under the home and they came out with a disgusted look on their faces," Spurlock said. "They said someone went in and ripped out all of the copper from under the house. Somebody knew what they were doing because the guy explained they broke it because they were in a hurry."
Local scrap metal yards said copper thefts are very prevalent. To sell copper, a person would likely bring in between $1.80 and $3 per pound.
Spurlock said those few dollars a thief might get are hardly worth the headache left behind for his daughter.
"She is a hardworking woman. She is a single parent and if they have the nerve to go under your house, they have the nerve to go in your house. It's sickening, very sickening," Spurlock said.
