An Oklahoma County deputy responding to a burglary call at a vacant home allegedly caught a man stripping the property for copper, ordered him to his knees, and watched him instead bolt and smash straight through a closed glass window to get away. The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Rayven Wooten, is now facing charges, even though he slipped away from the scene that day.
The call came in as a burglary in progress at a vacant home on Sunset Lane, according to KOKH, which reported that deputies were dispatched to the scene on October 1. A deputy arriving at the home found a suspect allegedly trying to pull copper from the property, a detail also confirmed by kfor.com, which reported that a deputy was called to a vacant home regarding a burglary.
When the deputy ordered the suspect to get on his knees, he instead ran and crashed through a closed window to flee, according to KOKH's reporting. The station reported that the suspect left behind a backpack and a driver's license, which investigators used to identify him as Wooten. The dramatic escape was caught on the deputy's body camera, per the same kfor.com report, which noted the suspect was seen smashing through the window on video.
Charges Filed Despite the Getaway
Wooten avoided capture that day, but investigators have since moved forward with charges. He faces counts of burglary, resisting arrest and obstructing an officer, according to kfor.com's reporting, which echoed KOKH's account of the charges. Deputies described the window-smashing escape as an unusual method suspects have used to avoid arrest, per KOKH.
Part of a Statewide Copper Theft Surge
The Sunset Lane incident lands amid a broader spike in copper theft across Oklahoma. The state ranks sixth nationally for copper thefts, and it has already logged 300 reported thefts in 2026 alone, according to news9.com. An enforcement sweep involving Oklahoma City police and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry recovered roughly 2,400 pounds of stolen copper wire from recycling centers around the metro, the station reported, while a similar operation in Tulsa recovered about 300 pounds of stolen telecommunications wire.
AT&T has pointed to climbing copper prices as a driver of the thefts, news9.com reported. The metal is in heavy demand for electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines and electrical wiring, which has made it an attractive — and dangerous — target. News9 noted that stripped copper lines can knock out 911 answering centers' ability to process calls, and that people trying to rip copper from power lines risk electrocution.
Other Recent Cases in the County
The Sunset Lane case isn't the only copper theft the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has been chasing. The agency has also been investigating recent copper thefts near Luther, according to kfor.com, and investigators there said they wanted to speak with a man described as having tattoos on his arms in connection with those thefts.
Copper theft has also hit places of worship in the state. Hoodline previously reported on thieves targeting two Oklahoma churches, including a roughly five-ton HVAC unit stolen from Great Baptist Church in Wetumka after the congregation had paid about $10,000 for two units, and copper pipe stripped from the air-conditioning system at Greater Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, leaving at least $5,000 in repair costs. That report also noted copper prices reached around $6.53 per pound in July, a price swing that has made the metal an increasingly common target for thieves across the state.
