Jefferson County police arrested 48-year-old plumber Donald Allen Citron, otherwise known as “the crapper scrapper,” in early March for stealing plumbing material from various bathrooms around Denver, including locations at DU. The robbery, which occurred mid-February, cost the university $1,500 for material and labor to replace the parts.

According to Jefferson County police, Citron would steal brass hardware associated with toilets, including pipes, from the wall and flush valves.

“He walked into office buildings and would go from floor to floor, turning the water off and then steal the plumbing,” police said. “He would simply put the load in his back pack and then walk out the door.”

Police said for all of the damage Citron caused, he didn’t get very much in return.

Citron made approximately $40 per bathroom by selling the metal scraps.

According to police, Citron was caught when an employee at a local business noticed what he was doing and reported his license plate number. Citron is currently facing 18 charges of second-degree burglary, theft and criminal mischief.

“What he takes and gets very little money for at these scrap yards is costing these businesses thousands of dollars to replace,” said Jamie Greaser, a spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in a CBS news story that ran mid-March.

Repairs to plumbing and pipes at DU were completed on Feb. 17, two days after the robbery.

According to Pam Carnahan, physical plant director at DU, Citron robbed bathrooms in Sturm Hall, the Chambers Center, Ruffatto Hall and Centennial Halls.

“The money for the repairs came out of the facilities general maintenance budget,” she said. “Our restrooms were out of order for a couple of days while repairs were being made, and our work schedule had to be re-prioritized to get the repairs done in a timely manner.”   

According to the Jefferson County Police website, Citron stole from at least 18 locations, including Craig Hospital, Southwest Plaza Mall, King Soopers and Taco Bell, dating back to Jan. 5. Police suspect there are more unreported businesses that were affected.

The total cost of repairs from the 18 locations Citron robbed was $6,390. Many of the businesses had to shut down their restrooms for days to repair them.