South Windsor police are asking the public for help identifying a man wanted in connection with a copper-piping theft at the long-vacant former Geissler's Plaza on Sullivan Avenue. Investigators say the piping was stolen on Oct. 27, and they've released surveillance images they believe capture the suspect in the act.
According to CT Insider, South Windsor police asked for the public's help identifying a person wanted in connection with the copper piping theft on Sullivan Avenue. The department shared surveillance images said to show the suspect, who is described as a white man wearing a baseball hat and hoodie. Police said the piping was stolen from the former Geissler's plaza, as reported by ctinsider.com.
The South Windsor Police Department also reported the theft in a Facebook post, a page that serves the department's roughly 17,000 followers in town. No further description of the suspect or additional details about how the theft was discovered have been made public.
A Shuttered Plaza Caught Between Decay and Redevelopment
The targeted property has sat empty for years. The former Geissler's-anchored shopping plaza is part of a 19-acre redevelopment site spanning 959, 1017 and 1079 Sullivan Ave., according to the Hartford Business Journal. The outlet notes that the plaza has been fenced off and derelict since the supermarket closed, per the Hartford Courant.
That dormancy hasn't stopped developers from eyeing the site. In September, Farmington-based REESG Properties proposed a $30 million overhaul that would bring 125 apartments and nearly 60,000 square feet of renovated commercial space to the property, the Courant reported. South Windsor officials signed off on a zone change and conceptual plan for the project back in 2021, though the Hartford Business Journal notes that detailed site plans and other approvals are still required before construction could begin.
A Similar Theft Played Out in Windsor Locks
Copper theft from vacant or abandoned buildings isn't unique to South Windsor. In Windsor Locks earlier this year, police arrested two suspects after finding them cutting copper piping from an abandoned house on South Center Street, according to ctinsider.com. A foot chase was involved in taking those suspects into custody, police spokesperson Lt. Paul Cherniack told the outlet. The Windsor Locks case stands as a separate incident rather than evidence of a wider pattern, but it illustrates how empty buildings across the region can become targets for scrappers looking to strip valuable metal.
