Pipe theft leads to flooded homes, displaced residents

The theft of copper pipes from a vacant Frankford house has led to heavy flooding in three nearby homes.

Police are investigating the theft on the 4600 block of Tacony Street, ABC reported. The thieves took pipes from the basement and also ripped down the ceiling in a bedroom and stole the pipes above it.

Authorities have said that the theft caused water to leak and eventually created the flood, NBC stated in a related article.

“The basement has 6 feet of water in it, and everything’s damaged,” homeowner Kim McGinnis told NBC. “My washer and hot water heater are underwater, and it’s a brand-new washer and brand-new hot water heater. So it’s a big mess.”

As of Sunday afternoon, police did not yet have a suspect, and PECO and the Philadelphia Water Department were still present at the scene of the flooded homes, NBC reported.

“They just said we can’t stay here tonight,” McGinnis said to ABC, adding that she does not know how long they will be displaced.