KETTERING, Ohio -- Police in Kettering said they caught two copper thieves in the act.

Officers said one of the thieves had copper in his hand and the other was a short distance away. They said the second one was actually caught with some tools that may have been used to steal the copper.

Police said the two men stole copper pipes from Neil’s Heritage House in Kettering.

Officers said copper thefts have not been a problem lately. However, scrap copper has become a hot ticket for thieves because it is worth five times what it was five years ago.