Scrap metal bandits will steal anything

Remember last week when we talked about rising metal prices leading to more scrap metal thefts? Well, now there are signs that the thieves are getting more crafty (or more desperate): Tuesday night, burglars broke into safes and vaults at one local scrap yard.

Dennis Laviage, owner of C&D Scrap Metal, caught the thieves on surveillance tape breaking into the scrap yard's office. It's not clear whether they took any metal from outside the office, but once they were inside, they grabbed whatever they could find. "They did steal one of my pistols, a .357 magnum," Laviage told KHOU. "They were here for about 30 minutes, and they just had a little party."

Laviage said he's offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the thieves. He and several other scrap yard owners are dealing with these kinds of burglaries regularly, he said.