Cathedral’s copper top plundered

CLEVELAND – One of the domes atop Ohio’s oldest Russian Orthodox church was peeled of its copper covering by thieves who apparently wanted to sell the metal for scrap.

“Who could steal from God?” asked Ted Lentz, the church caretaker, as he looked up at the damage Wednesday.

The St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral, which appeared in scenes of the Oscar-winning film “The Deer Hunter,” is topped with 13 onion-shaped copper domes, one for Jesus and each of his 12 apostles.

At each of the four corners of the church, there are smaller half-domes. Police say the thieves who struck Tuesday night chose one of those to pillage.

While the going rate for copper is at its highest in years – about $1.25 a pound – the stolen copper probably wouldn’t fetch more than $100.