News 12 at 11 o'clock, February 24, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Heritage Academy was left with more than $10,000 in repairs after having copper taken from their air conditioning unit in early February.

The theft left the children and faculty without heat for almost a week before they had it fixed, said Heritage Academy executive director Linda Tucciarone.

Tucciarone came in like it was any other day at work. But when she tried to turn on the air conditioning, she noticed the meter had stopped working. It was then she knew something was going on, so she walked outside only to find that the copper connected to the air conditioner was missing.

"All of it was removed," she said. "And the bolt cutters were still hanging."

She said that was the first time it happened, but then a few days later she said the thieves came back again.

"It was discouraging, really discouraging," Tucciarone said. "It was down in the teens when we got here and I thought 'Oh my goodness, it is so cold.'"

It left the school with a $16,000 bill and four days without heat in the school, the executive director said.

The bill is a tough one to pay considering they had to put in a new air conditioning system when they moved into the new facility three years ago, she said. Plus they are a school that is 80 percent funded by donors, she said.

"That's a challenge in these economic times," Tucciarone said. "Then to have this unexpected $16,000 expense was hard."

Investigators tell News 12 the value of copper all depends on the amount that is taken and the type that's taken.

Numbers from the London Metal Exchange show the price and demand for metals peaked in 2008, before dropping back down in 2009.

The numbers now show the price is rising again for copper and other precious metals such as platinum, which is found in catalytic converters.

Since the theft at the nonprofit school, the school has increased their security measures hoping this type of problem doesn't come up again.

If you have any information on any metal thefts please call your local authorities.