Man posing as worker steals thousands of pounds of copper wiring, metal from Las Vegas Strip resort: police
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man who told police he was fired from the Fontainebleau Las Vegas allegedly stole tens of thousands of pounds of copper and metal from the property over several months while posing as a maintenance worker, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.
Alejandro Dejesus faces charges of theft, residential burglary and destroying or injuring real or personal property of another, records said.
On Feb. 26, a person at the Fontainebleau contacted Metro police to report a copper theft, documents said. Hotel security staff identified Dejesus as a possible suspect.
In all, police suspect Dejesus took about 2,500 pounds of copper piping and other metals, with the combined value of parts and labor totaling more than $300,000, documents said.
Hotel staff reported someone was stealing “copper piping and other items from their mechanical rooms,” documents said. The issue was ongoing for at least three weeks in February, with the piping “cut from different construction areas.”
The day before, on Feb. 25, a security officer came in contact with a man, later identified as Dejesus, in a mechanical room, documents said. Dejesus, who police said was hiding behind a pillar when spotted, identified himself as a construction worker. The security officer asked Dejesus for his construction credentials and Dejesus responded he left them in his truck, documents said. Dejesus then went to his truck but never returned.
Dejesus left behind a backpack with copper shavings, saw blades and a mask inside, police said.
Police located Dejesus from the truck’s license plate, documents said. A records check located prior sales to a recycling company, documents said.
Since September, Dejesus sold more than 22,000 pounds of copper and metal to the company, police said. When recycling company officials questioned him about the high amount, Dejesus allegedly told them “he was a union plumber and it was leftover material,” documents said.
There was no record that Dejesus was a union plumber in Nevada, police said.
Police arrested Dejesus on March 1 during a traffic stop. He told police he used to work at the hotel but was let go in January 2023, documents said. Dejesus told police this was how he knew how to access secured areas and maintenance floors.
Dejesus also allegedly told police he “had been going to [the] Fontainebleau multiple times per week over the past year.”
Judge Daniel Westmeyer set bail at $25,000 during a hearing on March 2. Dejesus posted bond and was due to return to court on March 20.
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