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Tulsa police arrested a man and a woman early Wednesday inside Promenade Mall after spotting suspicious activity at the boarded-up property.
Officer Andre Baul said patrol officers entered the building after noticing an opening and heard sawing noises. They traced the sounds to a lower-floor store, where two individuals were cutting out copper pipes.
Authorities identified the suspects as Mitchell Hauke and Robbie Stedman. Police noted that both have prior convictions for burglary and theft-related offenses.
Officials say that as copper prices have risen, incidents of copper theft have increased in the Tulsa area and across the country.
