Detectives say three of them hit the former American Water building in Voorhees on Nov. 4. Voorhees police Capt. Carmen Del Palazzo says they did more than $1 million in damage to the building.
"Mostly copper from inside and above, on the roof from the AC units — the HVAC units," he said.
Police say one of the men, 24-year-old Rahjahn Waters of Pine Hill, used materials stolen during that incident to pose as a New Jersey American Water employee in order to get access to the roof of the Commerce Square building in Blackwood on Nov. 8. Copper coils were stolen from several air conditioning units there. Damage there estimated at $140,000.
Three days later, Gloucester Township police arrested two other men after they were seen taking apart rooftop units at Commerce Plaza II.
Del Palazzo says it's a continuning problem throughout South Jersey.
"There are issues as far as vacant buildings, where actors try to go in it and burglarize it and steal copper from it. That's been ongoing for years," he said.
Police are encouraging business owners to check their rooftop air conditioning units to be sure they weren't victimized as well.