14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Thieves target empty Madisonville homes

Thieves target empty Madisonville homes

By Cory Stark - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Sarah Harlan - email

MADISONVILLE, KY (WFIE) - Police said over two dozen vacant and unoccupied homes have been broken into over the last month.

Police said the objects being taking from the homes are being sold to buy drugs.

Police said nearly 25 homes on Hall Street have been broken into since the middle of October.

Two suspects have already been arrested in the case but detectives said there are more.

Curtis and Suzette Denny have lived on Hall Street in Madisonville only for a year. They talked about their experience so far.

"There are cars sitting across the street that we don't know," Denny said. "On Halloween, there were cars sitting across the street, there is nobody that lives over there."

Tonya Massey lives next store to the Denny's with her children. She has lived in her home for 11 years.

"I have had concerns here for years and I have been here for 11 years, and it is getting worse," Massey said. 

Police said Hall Street is just one of two areas in Madisonville that has had numerous break-ins over the last month. The other area is on Hopewell Street.

"What they are focusing on is empty houses," Detective Scott Gipson with Madisonville Police said. "They could be for rent, for sale or abandoned. They are stripping the central air units of copper and then going under the house and stripping the basements of copper, hot water heaters, anything with copper."

Detective Gipson said the going rate for a pound of copper is $2.50.

"They're getting what they can, and we feel like it is drug related," Gipson said. 

"My neighbor moved out and when she came back to get some of her stuff out of the house, her central air and heating unit had been stolen and her back door had been kicked in," Massey said. 

Two suspects have been arrested. Both are charged with multiple counts of burglary in the second degree, but Detective Gipson said there are more.

"We feel like if they are willing to go into people's houses, it could be a bad thing and we want to stop it right now," Gipson said. 

Police are asking anyone with information that can help lead to arrests to call crime stoppers at 270-825-1111. 

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