Man attempting theft spends hours trapped under trash bin

By Kelly Gillespie
Reporter
Published: July 30, 2008

DILLON — A man was rescued from under a trash bin Wednesday morning in Dillon County after what deputies called an attempted copper theft gone wrong.

Gibson Cook, 56, became stuck and was unable to free himself from under the trash bin at the Dillon County landfill on S.C. 57 while he was trying to steal copper wiring, Dillon County Sheriff’s Office reports show.

Deputies said the suspect broke into the Dillon County Landfill about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, tried to steal the copper from a large container and got stuck beneath it.

Cook was discovered by workers Wednesday morning. Deputies said Cook was stuck for about 12 hours.

Dillon County Landfill has had its fair share of thefts during the past six months, landfill employee Charlie Brown said. Security cameras were recently installed security cameras because so many people have broken in and stolen metal.

“They come down here and get anything they can see, anything laying around out in the trucks,” he said.

Brown said that in his 27 years at the landfill, no one has ever been caught like this.

“It was right disgusting. I wouldn’t be under there,” Brown said, laughing. “No, I can’t see anyone one else going under a Dumpster.”

Dillon County EMS personnel responded and used air bags to lift the container off of the suspect, who wasn’t injured.

“It was kind of amusing to see him come out of there,” Brown said. “He was scared. He was ready to get out of there.”

Only about $10 in copper was inside the container, Brown said.

“If they’re desperate enough, they’ll do about anything anymore,” he said.

Cook remains in custody at the Dillon County Detention Center. Deputies said he has a history of larceny and burglary arrests.

Reports of copper theft are increasingly common throughout the Pee Dee. According to Bush Recycling in Florence, the current value of copper is anywhere from $2.85 to $3.05 per pound.

In October, Marlboro County Electric Cooperative spent around $10,000 to replace stolen copper wires.

Florence County sheriff’s deputies said they have responded to some copper theft reports this year, but not an unusual number. But in March 2007, Lake City police investigated a case where $100,000 worth of copper was taken from a warehouse.

Deputies in Darlington County said they investigate copper thefts from time to time, but the number of reports has dropped since House Bill 3817 was signed into law June 14, 2007.

The bill is aimed at stopping the theft of copper and other recyclable metals, making it illegal for anyone to buy copper, aluminum and stainless steel in bulk unless the seller is registered or if the buyer has the seller’s full name and verifiable address. The bill also makes it illegal for people have more than 25 pounds of that material — with the exception of aluminum cans — in their possession without a valid bill of sale.

Darlington police, however, said they constantly respond to copper theft reports. In March, they arrested 45-year-old David Allen Woods of Cassatt in connection with the theft of $20,000 in copper wire from a former manufacturing facility on Pearl Street.

— Morning News Staff Writer Jamie Rogers contributed to this report.