Police: Copper thief broke into prison

SALISBURY, N.C., March 21 (UPI) -- Police in North Carolina said a bold thief broke into a minimum security prison and stole the copper from an air conditioning unit.

The Salisbury Police incident report said the thief is believed to have scaled the fence at the Piedmont Correctional Institution at some point prior to 8:15 a.m. Monday and "dismantled an A/C unit and stole the copper out of it," the Salisbury Post reported Wednesday.

Police said the air conditioning unit was valued at $3,000.

Police Capt. Shelia Lingle said officers are investigating.