Jul 16, 2008 10:47 pm US/Pacific
OC Man Allegedly Stole Fire Sprinkler Regulators
LAGUNA HILLS, Calif.
-
-
Robert Johnson is suspected of stealing fire sprinkler regulators from Laguna Hills business to sell them for their brass.
Courtesy OCSD/CBS
A Foothill Ranch man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of stealing 41 fire sprinkler regulators from businesses, presumably to sell them for their valuable brass content.
Robert Johnson, 39, was once employed to install the items, which are attached to a main water line and activate fire extinguishers when heat is detected, Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Armormino said.
Deputies on patrol had spied a Dodge Ram truck and a man behind several clothing stores just after midnight in the area of La Cadena and Del Lago drives in Laguna Hills. The man told deputies he was inspecting the regulators, "but it turned out he was actually removing them from the various different businesses to sell them for the brass." Armomino said.
The regulators, which take about two minutes to remove each one, cost about $2,000 to replace and Johnson probably could have sold each one for $400-$500 each to a fence, Armomino said.
Johnson may also be behind the theft of 35 of the devices on July 2 in Lake Forest, he said.
Johnson was arrested on suspicion of grand theft and possessing stolen property, and booked at the Orange County Jail with bail set at $150,000.
"These things are not commonly checked and most victims wouldn't know that they've been stolen," Amormino said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
