Three separate instances of vandalism struck the city of Mullens within the past week alone.
Copper thieves attempted to nab pipes at Wayne's Supermarket in Mullens. What they didn't realize was that they were cutting the main Freon line to the store's coolers; an unsuccessful plot that is causing the store thousands of dollars in damages.
"It was probably no more than a collar for the piece of copper, and it costs 30 some thousand dollars… And it don't only affect me," says Chris Blankenship, the supermarket's owner. "When my insurance goes up, when something like this happens, it costs everybody's insurance money because they raise premiums on everybody. It affects everybody somewhere down the line."
Police are still looking for the suspects. "Most of this activity is drug related," says Ray Toler, Mullens Police Chief. "It's easy to get in, get a little bit of copper, sell it, and go back and buy a pill with it."
That's not all Toler and his force are dealing with. Vandals struck at the Mullens Football Fieldhouse and 12 vehicles in the area.
Police say they do not suspect a connection between the incidents, but it's an unfortunate string of events for the city this past week.
People of Mullens say foolish acts, such as these, take a toll on their community. "It costs this community too. Because they have to mess everything up like that, just because two or three people does stuff like that. And I think it's morally wrong, and I don't condone it," says James Lewis, a former Wayne's employee and citizen of Mullens.
Wayne's is installing extra cameras to beef up security.
Police ask anyone with information on these events contact them immediately.
