Copper Theft Leaves Miami Day Care In The Dark
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Miami day care was left in the dark after it was broken into overnight and copper wiring was stolen out of its electrical system.
This is the third time in the last three years that copper thieves have struck the Sunshine and Sunset Day Care on the corner of NW 7th Avenue and 44th Street.
"I feel very badly, very badly about what has happened," said day care owner Betty Joseph. "You see when they come in and do this it keeps us from opening up."
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Joseph said whoever did it, broke into the building's utility room after midnight.
"When I came in this morning, (I saw) they had sawed the lock in two and opened the gate," said Joseph. "The bust this (the utility room door) open and they stripped all the wiring from up there (pointing to above the electrical meters in the room), all the wiring had been stripped out."
Joseph said she's operated the facility for 47 years. She added that she had to tell parents, and grandparents, of the 35 children she takes care of that the day care would be closed for the day.
"If they know who is doing this, we really need help, we really need to stop this because this, it looks like it's just wiring but it shutdown the whole system for the day," said Harriette Wilson-Greene, whose grandchild goes to the day care."
Joseph said last year thieves made off with the copper wiring from her air conditioning units and surveillance cameras.
"This is really a hurting feeling right now, you know, I'm like shocked, you know, this is the second time in the last year," said day care employee Jancie Holmes.
Joseph said she lost thousands of dollars in wiring and she doesn't have insurance which will cover the theft. She added that she's been in touch with an electrician and hopes to be open Wednesday morning.
