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Tag: Metal Theft

  • Final member of St. Paul copper wire theft ring pleads guilty

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    A man believed to be part of a group that stole copper wire from streetlights in St. Paul pleaded guilty on Friday.

    Court records say Eh Tha Blay, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting third-degree property damage.

    If the plea is accepted at his Feb. 13 sentencing, Blay will not have to serve any additional time in prison, according to his petition, but he may have to pay restitution and could be put on probation.

    Blay is one of five suspects charged in connection to the copper thefts that took place between Nov. 10, 2023, and Jan. 15, 2024.

    Investigators say a confidential informant led them to the group’s ringleader, Kyaw Klay. He allegedly received more than $12,000 from stealing the copper.

    Police say Klay rounded up a crew to steal the copper and would then sell it to recycling plants with the help of Paw La.

    Klay pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting energy or telecom damage and was sentenced to three years of probation in April. The month before, La was convicted of misdemeanor theft and was ordered to pay more than $1,000 in restitution. 

    Last year, Nay Thar was sentenced to three years of probation for aiding and abetting first-degree property damage in connection with the thefts. 

    Another defendant, Aye Mae, was sentenced in May to two years of probation for first-degree damage to property.

    Note: The video above originally aired May 1, 2024.

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    WCCO Staff

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  • Statue of slain 10-year-old Barway Collins missing from Twin Cities park

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    Statue of boy murdered by father missing from Twin Cities park



    Statue of boy murdered by father missing from Twin Cities park

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    The memorial statue for 10-year-old Barway Collins, which has stood in Becker Park in Crystal, Minnesota, for only about a year, is now missing.

    Collins was murdered in 2015 by his father, Pierre Collins, who is now serving a 40-year prison sentence.

    WCCO spoke last year with Barway Collins’ mother, Karluah Owens, who said her son loved to play at Becker Park. She said the statue gives her and Barway Collins’ siblings a place to feel his presence.

    “I feel happy to see my son’s memory will stay alive,” Owens said.  

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    WCCO


    This is the fourth reported theft of a public statue this year in Minnesota. In August, someone stole a bronze bust of Olympic gymnast Suni Lee from St. Paul’s Phalen Regional Park. The granite plaque was later found in a nearby lake, but the bust is still missing.

    In July, a statue of a soldier was stolen from Rush Point Store in Chisago County. It was brought back safely the next day and a suspect was arrested.

    And in February, police arrested a 37-year-old man and charged him for stealing a bronze statue of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, which sat outside the former site of a school he had attended in St. Paul off Dale Street.

    WCCO has reached out to the Crystal Police Department for more information about the Collins statue theft.

    WCCO Staff

    The WCCO Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on WCCO.com.

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    WCCO Staff

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  • 5 charged for alleged roles in string of copper thefts in St. Paul

    5 charged for alleged roles in string of copper thefts in St. Paul

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    5 charged in connection to St. Paul copper thefts


    5 charged in connection to St. Paul copper thefts

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    ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police say they’ve pulled the plug on an organized copper theft ring.

    At least five suspects now face charges for stealing wiring from streetlights in St. Paul.

    Investigators say a confidential informant led them to the group’s ringleader.

    Police say 40-year-old Kyaw Klay rounded up a crew to steal the copper and would then sell it to recycling plants with the help of 21-year-old Paw Hkee La.

    Klay had become so familiar to employees at the Dem-Con recycling facility in Blaine that they no longer asked for his identification, according to charging documents.

    Between Nov. 10, 2023, and Jan. 15, 2024, the complaint alleges Klay received more than $12,000 from selling the stolen copper.

    Three others were charged and arrested in connection to the ring: Nay Thar, 36; Aye May, 44; and Eh Tha Blay, 25.

    As of Tuesday, Klay is not in custody. La was arrested on Tuesday.  

    Similar thefts cost St. Paul taxpayers more than a million dollars in repairs last year.

    Neighbors told WCCO those crimes likely caused a deadly St. Paul crash on Christmas Eve. A driver hit and killed a man and his dog while they were crossing the street. The streetlight wasn’t working because of stolen wire.  

    Metal is also missing from Shadow Falls Park in St. Paul as a result of copper thieves.

    State lawmakers are hoping to fight the crime by making it harder for thieves to sell what they steal.  

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    WCCO Staff

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  • Metal thieves target memorial honoring fallen heroes in St. Paul

    Metal thieves target memorial honoring fallen heroes in St. Paul

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    ST. PAUL, Minn. — Broken lights can be found all over Shadow Falls Park in St. Paul as the result of thieves stealing copper wire.

    “If you go down these trails you’re not going to find one that’s functional right now, unfortunately,” St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez said. 

    Rodriguez said across the park system, there are currently 1,800 lights out. Sometimes, crews will replace one light only to return the next day and see it out again. 

    Over the past few years, the city of St. Paul has seen an increase in copper wire thefts. In 2023, the city spent more than $1.2 million to replace and repair street lights and signals. 

    Criminals aren’t just targeting lights. In early April, thieves stole two plaques from a World War I memorial monument at Shadow Falls Park. It will cost thousands of dollars to replace them, Rodriguez said. 

    “Very unfortunate and it just kind of takes away from the ambiance of this place and what this means to the residents of Saint Paul,” he said. 

    Then, last week, he said a worker noticed an attempted theft at Harriet Island Regional Park. It appeared someone had tried to cut and remove a piece of a heavy, bronze art installation, known as “Flood Waves.” In a preventative measure, the city decided to remove the loosened piece and store it somewhere safe to prevent a total loss. 

    “I don’t know how they got it out of the wall, frankly,” artist Ann Klefstad said.

    She designed the piece back in the early 2000s and said it was made with security in mind. She believes the construction of it, likely saved it from thieves this time, but she would like to see cameras installed in the area to prevent further attempts. 

    “We do plan to reinstall it using the same techniques but make it even more bulletproof. This is something the community wants and they should be able to have it in safety,” she said. 

    The city of St. Paul has tried many different deterrents to prevent metal thieves, including dedicating more resources to curb the problem. More information on the issue can be found on the city’s website.

    Kirsten Mitchell


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    Kirsten Mitchell joined the WCCO team as a reporter in November of 2021. A Saint Paul native, Kirsten is proud to tell stories in her home state. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Go Gophs!) and interned at WCCO during her time there.

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    Kirsten Mitchell

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