Houston-area homeowner on stolen AC: 'They came [and] basically cut the wires, cut the copper and just hauled off the unit'

A Houston-area homeowner woke up Thursday morning to discover that thieves made off with his air conditioning (AC) unit during the night, according to a report from Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.

Craig Kasper, who owns a residence in the Shepard Forest area, is warning his neighbors and the public that it could happen to them, KPRC reported.

According to Kasper, the station reported, a new unit including installation cost and coolant can set homeowners back at least $2,000.

He told KPRC that the individuals were able to steal his unit because it can be seen from the street.

“They came [and] basically cut the wires, cut the copper and just hauled off the unit,” the homeowner said, per KPRC.

Kasper assumes that the thieves have a system in place just like those who target catalytic converters.

“They steal one and know what they’re doing, so it’s just unfortunate," he told KPRC.

The station reported that he has since bought a replacement, as well as made adjustments to protect not just the unit but the home in general.

The incident in question occurred just as the Houston area is seeing temperatures soar about the century mark and implementing voluntary water conservation measures.

Citing Houston CBS affiliate KHOU, Houston Daily reported that George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Galveston logged temperatures surpassing the 100-degree mark on Monday, which was also the second consecutive day for triple-digit temperatures in the area.