GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Honolulu Police Department Lt. Daniel Ford, left, and Officer Preston Pacheco yesterday displayed some of the 353 pounds of recovered copper wiring found Wednesday in Campbell Industrial Park. Investigators need help identifying rolls of insulated underground copper wire labeled "Rome Cable 350 MCM Power."

Police seek info on owner of wire

Before police can open up a copper wire theft investigation, they need to verify that the 353 pounds of copper wire they found was stolen.

The wiring was left after two men fled police Wednesday morning as officers investigated a report of possible copper wire thieves in Campbell Industrial Park.

Now investigators are asking the public's help in identifying the rolls of insulated underground copper wire labeled "Rome Cable 350 MCM Power." The cables are worth about $750 total.

"Unless we find who the owner is, we can't actually initiate detaining stolen property and a theft case," said Kapolei Lt. Daniel Ford. "So the suspects that we think did this, and I emphasize think, we have nothing to hold them on."

At 9:13 a.m., Ford responded to witnesses calling in about a possible copper wire theft. The two men were seen hauling large black wires into a gold 2001 Kia Sportage parked at 91-055 Kaomi Loop.

Ford said he was inspecting the wiring in the trunk of the vehicle when one of the suspects started walking toward him with about 30 pounds of copper wiring slung over his shoulder. As soon as the suspect saw Ford, he ran toward the beach area.

"I rounded the corner, running after him in full uniform in the sand," Ford said. "And the second suspect rounded a different corner hauling more cable."

Ford said he was about 30 yards away as the second suspect walked toward him.

"He saw his friend passing him, dropped the cable and the two of them ran," Ford said. "We set up perimeter as quickly as we could, brought the helicopter in, and began a search. But there's so many places to hide back there."

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Two men were seen putting large black cables into this gold 2001 Kia Sportage on Wednesday.

Since police have not identified the owners of the copper wiring with the casing, the cables and the Kia Sportage are only evidence under a miscellaneous public case, Ford said.

Both suspects are described to be in their 40s. One of them is about 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 145 pounds, with wavy brown hair and a fair complexion. Another suspect is about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds, with light brown hair and tan skin.

Police have put out bulletins to recycling yards across the island to be wary of copper thieves trying to sell them hot cables.

Officer Preston Pacheco said some yards have stopped accepting cables with obvious burn marks in the area that they are cut, such as the ones recovered Wednesday.

Some tools, including a large cable cutter, were visible in the back of the Kia Sportage, parked as evidence in the back of the Kapolei police station.

Police said the vehicle had not been reported stolen.

"There is a lot of construction going on here," Ford said. "Kapolei is growing by leaps and bounds, and that's why we're on the lookout for more copper thieves."