A man died Wednesday after he was electrocuted while allegedly trying to steal copper wire from a vacant senior housing complex in Philadelphia.
The unidentified man broke allegedly into the Brith Sholom House in West Philadelphia’s Wynnefield Heights neighborhood, according to The Philadelphia Tribune. Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah told the Tribune the man “had no business being there.”
Jeremiah said workers found the body in the basement near the building’s electrical switch gears. The man had allegedly been stripping copper wires when he was electrocuted. (RELATED: Thieves Allegedly Stole Copper Wire From Streetlights, Left Entire Blocks In Darkness)
“He was not a contractor. He was not permitted to be there,” Jeremiah told the Tribune. “We made sure that the property was sealed with vacant property systems in place all around the building, on the first floor and the second. We believe he trespassed on the property through a window on the third floor of the building.”
Police public affairs officer Miguel Torres confirmed the man was pronounced dead at 6:40 a.m., the Tribune reported.
The unidentified man found dead inside the Brith Sholom House on the 3900 block of Conshohocken Avenue in Wynnefield Heights early Wednesday was not a resident of the senior homes, according to PHA President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah. Report by Sherry Stone. https://t.co/Fa82yAS0cr
— Philadelphia Tribune (@PhillyTrib) January 22, 2026
An suspected accomplice who was with the man called 911 and falsely claimed a contractor had been hurt on the job, Jeremiah said. Police are investigating if the person who called 911 was an accomplice to the alleged robbery, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The housing authority’s security cameras were not working during the incident, according to the outlet. Much of the building’s power had been shut off, and vandals had destroyed other cameras, Jeremiah claimed.
The death came just one day after Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker announced a $50 million renovation project for the property, according to the Inquirer. The city’s building trades unions agreed to loan the money to rehabilitate the complex.
PHA purchased Brith Sholom House for $24 million in 2024 after its previous owners allegedly let it deteriorate. The building has been shuttered since August 2025 when officials relocated its roughly 100 senior residents.
The renovated complex will eventually provide 336 affordable housing units for seniors on fixed incomes, Parker said.