Kenner police say they have arrested a man they believe was running a large-scale copper theft ring out of the vacant Macy’s at the Esplanade Mall, turning the shuttered department store into his personal scrapyard. Officers report that a security worker first spotted an exterior door propped open and a pulley rig set up to yank wiring from inside the building, with hundreds of feet of copper already pulled and neatly staged outside. Detectives later executed a search warrant at a home in Destrehan, where they say they recovered roughly 1,000 pounds of copper along with scrap-yard receipts, and the suspect now faces burglary and property-damage charges, according to authorities.
According to the Kenner Police Department, investigators identified the suspect as Jason Chapman and say they used Flock Safety license-plate cameras to track a truck registered to him after witnesses reported seeing a pickup with a bed full of copper rolling down Airline Highway. The department says officers found about 200 feet of copper wiring pulled and staged outside the Macy’s building on March 27, and that Chapman returned to the area on April 1, apparently to scoop up whatever was left. Police obtained a warrant for Chapman’s arrest on counts including simple burglary and simple criminal damage to property in the 10,000-49,999 dollar range, and say the investigation is still active.
How officers say the theft unfolded
“This wasn't just theft; this was a full-scale operation,” Chief Keith Conley wrote in the department's post. Officers describe a pulley system rigged to snake copper wiring through walls and out of the Macy's building, then leave the stripped material outside for easy pickup. Detectives say receipts seized at Chapman's Destrehan residence tied the recovered wire to local scrap-metal sales and that evidence there, including about 1,000 pounds of copper, is now central to the case.
Mall context and local fallout
The Esplanade Mall has been limping along for years as anchor stores and smaller tenants left, while city and parish officials weighed demolition or redevelopment options, WDSU reported earlier this year. Hoodline has also chronicled stalled plans and ownership disputes that have left big chunks of the mall empty and exposed, creating plenty of opportunities for vandalism and theft on the long-vacant property.
Why copper theft matters
Copper-wire thefts have surged across the country, stripping everything from streetlights to telecom lines and racking up massive repair bills and public-safety headaches, as local reporting has shown. ABC7 documented how similar thefts have knocked out landlines and critical services in parts of Los Angeles, and the Kenner post notes that investigators here leaned on Flock Safety's license-plate cameras to follow the copper-laden truck. Flock Safety says those cameras are widely used by police departments to identify and track vehicles tied to property crimes.
What's next
Chapman was arrested after officers secured a warrant and remains linked to an active Kenner investigation that detectives say could connect him to other copper thefts around the region. The department is asking anyone with information to contact the Kenner Police Department as investigators continue to chase leads and consult with prosecutors on potential additional charges.
