Copper “belt” connects suspect to scrap metal theft | Crime

Police say a strange belt helped connect a man to a copper theft Wednesday night.

The owner of Iskiwitz Metals was at home watching a live stream of his company’s surveillance video when he spotted a man breaking into the business just before 9:30 p.m. The man called police and gave a description of the man he saw on the surveillance video.

Officers arrived on the scene and spotted Cedric Woolsey carrying a large duffle bag. Police say Woolsey ran away when he saw them and threw the bag away before hiding in a shed at a vacant home.

When they finally caught up with him, officers say Woolsey was using copper wire taken from Iskiwitz Metals as a belt. Investigators were also able to retrieve the duffel bag which was stuffed with more than 60 pounds of scrap copper, according to court records.