Copper Thief Caught Near Vacant Home, Police Say

A Cherry Hill man who was spotted by neighbors breaking into a vacant home on State Street was arrested Saturday after stealing copper pipes and running from officers, Cherry Hill Police said.

A neighbor in the 300 block of State Street called police just before 2:30 p.m., after seeing Kirk W. Brumbaugh, 37, walk into the vacant home carrying a duffel bag, police said.

Brumbaugh, whose pants and boots were visibly wet, was leaving when officers arrived, police said, and took off running toward Church Road, but was caught after a brief search of the neighborhood.

Officers who checked the house where Brumbaugh had reportedly broke in found copper pipes cut into pieces and around six inches of standing water in the basement from the cut lines, police said.

Brumbaugh was charged with burglary, theft, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief and possession of drug paraphernalia, and was taken to the Camden County Jail in default of $7,500 bail.