Houston Disappearing, Piece by Piece

HOUSTON — Someone is stealing Houston.

First it was a series of heavy, metal drain grates swiped several months ago from area streets. Now bridge guardrails are disappearing, prompting officials to warn motorists and pedestrians to take extra precautions when crossing the spans.

At least six Houston bridges have been hit by the guardrail thefts, costing the city about $9,000, public works spokesman Dan Jones said last week.

“Pedestrian traffic is at risk,” he said. “It’s not pranksters. It’s clearly people turning this into scrap metal for money.”