“…how thieves could come and go at ease over a span of about 90 minutes, climb the 8-foot-high jail 
bars protecting their air conditioning unit…essentially locking themselves inside the bars with no fear of getting caught as they dismantled the unit, stripping it of copper and other valuable metals. It was all caught by the surveillance camera…”
Air conditioner thieves struck a favorite Chinese restaurant in East St. Louis last month, for the third time in five years. The losses have topped $15,000 for the Hong Kong Chop Suey at 60thand State.
With almost no progress in the police investigation, the restaurant owners released the surveillance video to FOX 2, hoping to save their business. Instead of talking about food and customers’ orders, workers were talking about thieves again at the restaurant Monday night.
Thieves also hit the restaurant’s a/c units there in 2007 and 2010. Repair and replacement costs have soared. “First timeabout $8,000. Second time about $5,000. This time about $2,000,†Chiu explained.
For more:Â http://fox2now.com/2012/06/11/ac-theft-could-cause-restaurant-to-shutdown/
