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Homeowner: Thieves cause thousands in damage for copper worth $30

ATLANTA — A homeowner says he came home to find a hole in his house created by thieves in search of copper.

Donald Shands said this is the second time this week his house off Northside Drive has been targeted and now he is planning to move away.

Shands showed Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach the damage, a hole in the back of the house just large enough for someone to crawl through. He said the thief didn't take any of his belongings, just his copper pipes.

"I have two units and so they cut the copper out of the wall and that leads up into the attic," Shands said.

Shands said the thieves got away with $20 to $30 worth of copper, but caused thousands of dollars in damage.

He said he's planning to leave, despite a new stadium being built just next door to his Vine City neighborhood. As part of the billion-dollar stadium deal, the city of Atlanta and the Falcons pledges $30 million to help the nearby communities of English Avenue, Castleberry Hill and Vine City.

Shands said the improvements are too late for him, and that the city will have a lot of work to do in the area.