DETROIT (WXYZ) — We have a warning about stealing gutters after three men have been charged for stealing them from a home on Detroit’s east side.
The thefts happened in broad daylight, with security cameras picking up the entire incident.
The theft occurred at a home on Goulburn Avenue. Police say the property was stripped of its gutters in a crime that was very brazen.
“It was definitely frustrating,” says Calvin McGhe, who manages the property where the theft went down.
It's stunning security camera footage. On February 16th,, two people could be seen taking gutters off a home on Goulburn Avenue,
Web extra: Suspects allegedly stole gutters
A third person was helping load the stolen gutters into a U-Haul truck.
“A customer informed me, was like 'hey, somebody is stealing the gutters you just installed about a week,” says McGhe.
He says he's no stranger to things being stolen while a house is being renovated,
“A majority of the crimes happen in broad daylight. We have people break in, steal our furnaces, hot water tanks,” he says.
But that doesn't make the most recent stolen property any less disappointing.
“A lot of people spend a lot of money on getting their homes renovated. A lot of these people don't have loans, or it's coming out of their pockets. These are hardworking Americans,” McGhe says.
Detroit police say that, using surveillance video, they were able to track the three people allegedly involved and charge them.
Captain Starr Gonzales says it appears they may be responsible for other stolen gutters in the city and were looking to profit from the crimes.
“With the receipts that we found on-hand, it proves that they have been scrapping metal,” Gonzales says.
Although Detroit police say they aren't seeing an increase in gutter thefts, Gonzales is sending a strong message to those thinking about taking property.
“The chief 100% backs our efforts to ensure that suspects of these types of quality of life crimes are put behind bars,” she says.
And McGhe says when it comes to replacing the gutters, he's being extra cautious.
“We'll wait until she moves in to put the gutters back up,” he says.
Anyone who has been the victim of a similar crime is encouraged to contact DPD.
