THEFT Detective finds copper stolen from church

CLEVELAND (AP) -- A police detective said he located copper stolen from a dome atop Ohio's oldest Russian Orthodox church by inspecting scrap yards' records.
City laws require scrap dealers to record names, addresses and license plate numbers from those who are selling metal, Cleveland Detective Thomas Smith said.
Smith's investigation led to two men being charged in the theft.
Timothy Moses Turner, 37, is charged with breaking and entering, and Harry L. Graham, 59, is charged with receiving stolen property. They appeared in court Thursday but did not enter pleas.
The Rev. John Zdinak estimated the damage to St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral at as much as $20,000.
The church, which appeared in scenes of the Oscar-winning film "The Deer Hunter," is topped with 13 onion-shaped copper domes, one for Jesus and each of his 12 apostles. At each of the four corners of the church, there are smaller half-domes.
While the going rate for copper is at its highest in years -- about $1.25 a pound -- the stolen copper probably wouldn't fetch more than $100.
Smith said he has found stolen aluminum siding, kitchen sinks, stop signs and parts from cruise missiles in scrap yards since he began investigating metal thefts in 1978.
Smith said he faxes a description of stolen items to scrap yards in the city when he gets a case.
"Over the years I've built a relationship with the dealers," he said.