$70K in copper wire stolen from industrial site northwest of Edmonton

A box full of cupper wire is seen in this undated file image.

Two people have been charged after copper wire with an estimated value of $70,000 was stolen from a commercial site northwest of Edmonton.

The investigation began on Nov. 11 after Mounties got a call that two people had cut a fence and broken into the site in the Westlock area.

Investigators identified two suspects and warrants were issued for two men.

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On Dec. 12, one of the men was arrested. The second man is still at large.

A 48-year-old man from Westlock and John Joshua Ford, 52, from Athabasca are charged with break and enter to commit theft over $5,000 and break and enter to commit mischief over $5,000.

The Westlock man has also been charged with two counts of failure to comply with court orders.

The Westlock man was released on conditions with a court date of Jan. 7 in Westlock, but police say he has since been arrested for breaching those conditions.

He was charged with failure to comply with release orders.

Police are still searching for Ford.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call Westlock RCMP at 780-349-4491 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.