EAST WINDSOR, Conn. (AP) – Thieves have ripped copper and brass from street cars at the Connecticut Trolley Museum, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Tim Lesniak, secretary of the corporation that runs the nonprofit museum, says irreplaceable fixtures and electrical components were taken. He says the value is “in the tens of thousands of dollars.”

The Hartford Courant reported that similar thefts have occurred across the state, including brass plates pried off war monuments, metal objects hacked from grave markers and old lighting fixtures stolen.

The metal was taken from the trolley museum between January and last weekend. The newspaper says thieves gained access to a car barn where the trolley cars were being stored. Once inside, they pried off brass hardware such as window latches and cut electrical components containing copper.

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Information from: The Hartford Courant, http://www.courant.com

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