A copper wire theft in Delta Junction, and the metal-price math behind it

Alaska State Troopers arrested Julie Sava of Delta Junction on Sunday in connection with copper wire thefts at a local business around June 22, and say they're now looking for a possible accomplice, pointed there by surveillance footage and witness accounts.

Copper theft like this rarely happens in a vacuum. It tracks the price of the metal: when copper climbs on global markets, so do the break-ins, because stripped wire can be sold to scrap yards for quick, largely untraceable cash. The catch — and the reason these cases frustrate businesses and utilities — is the lopsided math.

A thief might walk away with a few hundred dollars of metal after causing many times that in damage to gutted walls, severed lines, and knocked-out power or phone service.

The charges are accusations, and Sava is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Troopers ask anyone with information about the thefts or a possible accomplice to contact them.