An Anchorage man has been arrested on theft allegations after he was caught trying to sell copper stolen from a work site at Providence Alaska Medical Center, according to police.
Charles Quales III, 44, was arrested Monday after the recycling firm he was trying to sell the metal to, Alaska Metal Recycling on King Street, reported the copper was “suspicious,” police said.
Police say they stopped Quales a short distance away driving a red 1999 Ford Expedition that had been reported stolen in November. They also learned the metal had been snatched from Providence, police said.
Police say copper thieves can get up to $2 per pound for pilfered copper wiring and piping, and copper theft has become commonplace in Alaska and elsewhere in the Lower 48. Thieves often target construction sites, cut or burn the insulation off wiring and sell it to recyclers.
Quales was charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree theft, two counts of third-degree theft, vehicle theft and driving with a revoked license.
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