By Bernadette Flores
EL PASO, Texas —
First they were stealing copper, and now desperate thieves have moved on to stealing aluminum from various businesses in El Paso, all in the hopes of selling it off for big bucks at a recycling center.
We visited Lopez Scrap Metal in Socorro who showed us what they do to prevent buying from thieves.
The company has special software that scans your IDs, license plates, and also takes pictures of whatever is sold.Besides aluminum, Lopez Scrap metal buys copper, brass and other metals. Operations Manager, Jorge Bernal said they buy mostly from places like factories and demolition groups.
Bernal said the recycling business in El Paso is a small community. They do their best to work hand-in-hand with companies that have become the victims of metal thieves.
The Glass House and Alamo Auto Glass are two east El Paso companies that have recently had more than $20,000 worth of aluminum stolen.
Bernal said, so far no one has come in trying to sell any of that stolen metal.
"Everybody should move toward being honest, that's the way I see it, and try to do as much as you can to help authorities reduce theft," said Bernal. Lopez recycling pays about $ 3 per pound of copper, which means a 10-pound piece of copper could be worth a quick $30 to thieves.