Copper thieves cause $750,000 in damages at north Wichita industrial park

Kamen Industrial Park in the 800 block of East 21st street suffered about $750,000 in damages Friday after vandals tore out electrical systems to steal about 2,000 feet of copper wiring, Wichita police said.

Police received a call about 3:45 p.m. after someone with the company found a large pile of heavy-strand copper wire on the ground.

When they checked, someone had been on the roof tearing out electrical systems to get to the copper wiring, said Sgt. Bart Brunscheen, a spokesman for the Wichita Police Department.

Detectives are looking at a potential suspect, or a “person of interest,” Brunscheen said.