                                              Air-Conditioners target of thefts

Although it's been a few weeks since thefts have occurred, local law enforcement confirm air-conditioning units have been the target of thefts in Iroquois County.

In fact, reports of stolen air-conditioners have been popular statewide.

Two men were recently arrested in Benton, Illinois when an off-duty deputy stopped a pickup truck and found two A/C units that were stolen from a church.

Franklin County Sheriff Don Jones said one of his deputies saw the pickup pulling away from a church last Tuesday, then noticed the church's air-conditioning units were missing. The sheriff said the thefts have become more common among thieves who sell them off as scrap metal.

Watseka Police Chief Roger Lebeck says up to a dozen central A/C units were stolen in Watseka earlier in the summer. Lebeck said businesses and residences were the target. The chief said the thefts were under surveillance and have since slowed.

Some theft cases have also been investigated in the county area. Police ask the public to report suspicious activity.

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