Circuit breakers appear to have joined the list of potential targets for thieves across the state who prey on metals and infrastructure.
Riverside County sheriff's deputies began investigating a spike in circuit breaker thefts in February, the department said in a statement Wednesday. Deputies arrested Eugene Popa, 65, of Perris last week and seized thousands of allegedly stolen circuit breakers stacked in large storage bins at two locations.
Agents say Popa purchased stolen circuit breakers from thieves who stole them from new home construction sites or retail stores. He then attempted to resell them online, agents say.
In recent years, thieves have stolen increasing amounts of copper, bronze and other metals from streets, buildings and construction sites, probably hoping to sell them as scrap metal. The thefts have left some streets and bridges, such as the rebuilt Viaducto de Calle 6, dark.
More than 100 plaques were stolen from a Carson cemetery. Fire hydrants, with their brass innards, became such popular targets that utility companies changed their design so thieves couldn't access their bolts as easily. Nearly a dozen century-old light poles in Pasadena were ripped from the ground.
Now, circuit breakers seem to be attracting the attention of thieves. However, the idea of buying a circuit breaker that isn't brand new in its packaging worries Ronnie Gor, a licensed contractor and developer.
Secondhand circuit breakers, like the ones Popa is accused of selling online, can be dangerous. If you're going to repair a circuit breaker in your home, you should opt for a new circuit breaker and call a licensed electrician, Gor said.
“If something goes wrong, your life could be in danger,” he said.
As a protection against theft during construction, circuit breakers are often installed in homes that are nearly finished and already have locks or other forms of security installed, Gor said. She has had tools and other equipment stolen from job sites, she said, but never circuit breakers.
Individual breakers can cost anywhere from $7 to over $60, depending on the amperage and model.
Paul Dashevsky of GreatBuildz, a site that helps connect consumers with contractors, said he had circuit breakers stolen from a house he was renovating to sell about a decade ago, but that nothing has happened since. “One day you have the electrical panel,” he said, “and the next day you have no breakers.”
The cost to replace them was about $400, he said. “It’s certainly frustrating,” he said, but the loss didn’t break the bank.
