A costly and inconvenient crime left some Mesa residents without water Friday.
Mesa police confirm a thief cut a water pipe and took off with the backflow valve. It happened at the Village at Sun Valley.
Six units did not have water. Ramona Munoz's apartment was one of them.
"I can't do my laundry," said Munoz. "It's just the little things, but it's annoying and frustrating."
Wanda Shepherd came home from work to find her water wouldn't turn on either.
"I'm paying too much money here. I mean, whoever is taking these valves, they need to go out and get a real job and I hope they catch the people who did it," Shepherd said.
Mesa police is investigating multiple incidents. The Village at Sun Valley has been hit before.
Police believe thieves target the backflow valve because they can sell the copper.
The valve can be costly to replace, anywhere from a couple hundred to $1,000.
Anyone with tips can call the Mesa PD non-emergency line at (480) 644-2211 or text 274637 and use the keyword: MesaPD.
