Copper thief leaves wallet at crime scene

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A copper-stealing burglar made it easy for police to find him after he left his wallet behind at the crime scene.

A man remodeling a house in southeast Albuquerque went to work Friday and found that a 30 foot coil of copper tubing, worth about $4,000, was missing.

Under the deck of the house, Tyler Whittington’s left his driver's license, social security card and CNM student ID.

That's Whittington's alleged accomplice Josh Wenze, 26, was in court Saturday after the investigation led police to him, too.

Wenze admitted to stealing copper from about a handful of other houses.

Both are still in jail charged with four counts of residential burglary and tampering with evidence among other things.