An Elbridge man was arrested Wednesday afternoon on charges he stole copper piping from an industrial warehouse on the west side of Auburn.

William N. Staring, 44, of Lot 11, 1070 Route 5, has been charged by the Auburn Police Department with the felonies of third-degree burglary and third-degree criminal mischief.

Law enforcement agencies around the country have reported a slew of thefts of copper and other precious metals as commodity prices hit record-level prices due to rapid industrial growth in countries like China and India. Copper is currently trading at $3.63 per pound, according to metal retailers.

Copper cable used for telephone and high-speed Internet services has been stolen. Commercial and residential building sites have been targeted for their copper wiring and pipes. Air conditioners' coils and old radiators are also sought by thieves.

A property caretaker witnessed a man removing copper piping from 48 Canoga St. and placing it on a loading dock. He called 911 and patrol officers were dispatched at 2:43 p.m. The witness took down a license plate number of a red Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck and provided a description of the man to police.

As officers responded to the burglary report, they spotted a pickup matching the provided information at Aurelius Avenue and N. Division Street and stopped it. Police said it was Staring driving the pickup with a bed full of tools.

Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Citizen.