ONLY ON 26: The street price of a 'steel'

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Richmond County investigators are looking for a man they say stole thousands of dollars in products from two Augusta businesses.

The theft happened Saturday at PCI Scaffold Concepts and Southway Cranes and Rigging. The two businesses are located right next to each other on Mike Padgett Highway

The thief got away with 44 steel frames among other construction products from PCI and a $1,500 red trailer from Southway. A pawn shop owner says there's a good chance the products will be resold on the street.

Ray D. Bigger works at Mo Money Pawn, not even a mile down the street from the two businesses. He says when it comes to reselling steel it's all about supply and demand.

Bigger says he tries to get the lowest price possible from people. He says he doubts the thief will get a good price for the steel.

"The price of steel has risen but to sell it as scrap he's taking a big loss," Bigger said.

"The price range is anywhere from 40 on up...very rarely do we go up to $900."

Investigators stopped by to talk to Bigger and see if the stolen items showed up there.

"They're not going to come to a pawn shop next door," Bigger said.

The materials that were stolen are the same type of materials that would be used to construct big buildings. One example of a that type of building is the new judicial center.

Bigger says Columbia is the place most stolen items are resold and is most likely the place with the best "street price."

"He got that and probably went to Columbia with it and unloaded the materials up there," Bigger said. "The economy is getting us to where a lot of crazy things are going to happen."

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