Riverside County Sheriff's Office has reported the arrest of a 65-year-old man in connection with a string of circuit breaker thefts that have been plighting the region's new home construction areas. The suspect, Eugene Popa of Perris, was nabbed on July 16 and is believed to have been operating a "fencing" network, profiting by reselling these stolen goods, often through online channels. In a report posted on the Sheriff's Office website, it was detailed that Popa's arrest followed a months-long operation by the Southwest Sheriff's Station's Robbery/Burglary Suppression Team (RBST).
Investigations into the abrupt uptrend in thefts of these critical electrical components have been underway since February. Popa, discovered to own a business that deals in circuit breakers primarily online, was purchasing these items from individuals targeting both, retail stores and construction sites, according to the Sheriff's Office's report. Following Popa being taken into custody near his home, multiple search warrants led the deputies to recover several thousands of what are suspected to be stolen circuit breakers.
A subsequent raid at an address in the 22800 block of Cougar Street in Perris resulted in the confiscation of a cache of potentially stolen goods, which is believed to be linked with the suspect's operations. "RBST then served a search warrant in the 22800 block of Cougar Street in Perris. During the search several thousands of suspected stolen circuit breakers and other items of evidentiary value involving the “fencing” operation were located and seized," the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office stated. Following these discoveries, another search warrant executed in the 11600 block of Sterling Avenue in Riverside unearthed yet thousands more of circuit breakers believed to be illicitly acquired.
As a result of the investigations, Popa was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center for possession of stolen property. While the investigation continues, the Sheriff’s Office has urged anyone with additional information to reach out to Deputy Christina Weber of the RBST at (951) 696–3133.
