Copper Thefts Leave Hundreds Without Cool Air

(DALLAS) -- Copper thefts are leaving hundreds of North Texans without cool air, according to ABC News Dallas affiliate WFAA-TV.

Dallas police report that thieves are removing copper coils from air conditioning units and selling them for about $4.35 a pound.

There have been 15 to 22 offenses reported daily, according to police.

The offense turned fatal after an elderly Dallas woman recently died from heat-related causes after her air conditioner was stolen.

The City of Dallas says a new statewide law will make it imperative that scrap metal yards only buy from legitimate businesses with proper paperwork.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Kidnapper Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison

(FORT WORTH, Texas) --  A man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in a kidnap-for-hire scheme in November, according to the Fort Worth Telegram.

Raudel Padilla, 27, is the first of three defendants to be sentenced in the case of a woman who was kidnapped from her Fort Worth home in exchange for $5,000, while her four-year-old child remained in the home alone.

Two of Padilla's co-defendants, 20-year-old Gerardo Padilla and 36-year-old Juan Reyes, are still awaiting their separate trials.

According to investigators, the men told authorities they were hired by an unidentified fourth person to kidnap the woman for $5,000 each in an effort to scare the woman's husband into paying money the setup man believed he was owed.

The woman, who was placed in a shed in a secluded wooden area in Hill County, escaped later that night after the men left her alone.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Dean Foods Suffers Record Net Loss after Litigation Charges

(DALLAS) -- One of the largest dairy distributors in the country, Dean Foods Co., announced Thursday that its second quarter losses—amounting to $51 million—were largely due a $131 million charge toward a class action lawsuit settlement with a Tennessee dairy farmer.

Dairy farmers claiming that Dallas-based Dean and other major buyers worked together to keep milk prices artificially low, thus hindering farmers' profits, filed a suit against the company in July, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Dean denied the accusations, saying it operated fairly, but decided to settle the case in the shareholders' best interest.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Suspect Arrested in Double Homicide

(IRVING, Texas) -- A man is in police custody for the fatal shooting of two people outside the Irving Mall last month.

Lubbock Police released a statement on Wednesday about the arrest of 31 year-old Ladale Cubit in Slaton on Tuesday.

Cubit is suspected in shooting 35-year-old Mehboob Pirani and 35-year-old Rahim Merchant outside an AT&T store on July 24th. Witnesses told police they saw a yellow taxi cab flee the scene. Partial license plates led police to the identity of suspect, who lived in the same apartment complex as Pirani.

The motive for the shooting is unknown. Cubit, who has prior convictions, is being held in Lubbock County Jail without bond. 

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Scorcher: High Temps Continue across Dallas

(DALLAS) -- An excessive heat warning remained in effect for Dallas on Thursday, as high temperatures remain a fixture in the weather forecast.

Temperatures are expected to cross the 100-degree mark every day from Thursday through Monday, based on forecast predictions. The National Weather Service warns that the hot weather means that the risk for heat-related illness or death is high, and residents should take the necessary steps to remain cool.

Several cooling centers are in operation across the Dallas-Fort Worth area to help residents beat the heat.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio