Burglars interrupted by showing of foreclosed home

A real estate agent interrupted a burglary at a foreclosed house he was going to show to a prospective buyer Wednesday. According to the Wauwatosa police report:

The agent arrived at the house in the 4500 block of North 110th Street to find two cars in the driveway and the front door unlocked. Inside, he saw a man and woman walking up the stairs and a pile of copper and hydronic heating coils piled on the kitchen floor. The couple ran out and drove away.

As the agent showed the house, the man came back into the house and asked if he could have the key code or if the house could be left unlocked. The agent said he was calling 911, so the man fled.

Copper tubing that had been removed from the basement ceiling, furnace and water heater was found in a pile in the basement along with tools and flashlights.

Neighbors said the woman was seen cutting the lawn and the vehicles were seen in the driveway for long periods of time on several occasions, so they assumed the couple had been hired to look after the home.

Another neighbor said another foreclosed house on 110th Street had all its copper piping stolen a while back, but he was not sure the theft had ever been reported.