Reports in Lathrop and elsewhere have described a rise in copper thefts at new construction sites.
According to the City of Lathrop Police Department, officers who pulled the vehicle over Tuesday night spotted the mud-caked driver and passenger and grew suspicious enough to search further. Inside, they say they discovered suspected methamphetamine along with a large amount of copper wiring that appeared to have been freshly cut and recently removed, stacked in the back seat.
Both occupants were arrested following the stop and the investigation that followed, the department says, and booked into San Joaquin County Jail on drug-related offenses, grand theft, and an outstanding warrant. One of the two also had an outstanding felony arrest warrant, according to the same post.
Suspects Point Police to River Islands Job Site
The department's post says the two suspects admitted to stealing the copper wire from a nearby construction site in River Islands, though officers say they are still working to confirm exactly where all of the wiring came from. In the meantime, police have asked construction sites throughout River Islands to check their properties for missing copper wiring or damaged electrical equipment, and they're asking anyone who believes they've been a victim of copper wire theft to get in touch with the department.
This isn't the first time Lathrop police have chased down a copper theft case in recent weeks. In a separate incident, the Manteca Bulletin reports that officers, detectives, and K9 Jackie tracked down a suspect wanted in connection with multiple thefts after they found him asleep in his vehicle. That report also noted what police described as a rise in copper thefts at new construction sites over the preceding month, with cases touching homes, lake infrastructure, and storage areas.
A Regional Problem Beyond Lathrop
The pattern isn't confined to Lathrop. In Woodland, three Sacramento residents were arrested after a traffic stop where officers found methamphetamine, heavy-gauge copper wire, and tools used to cut and strip wire, with one occupant carrying outstanding Sacramento County warrants, according to The Sacramento Bee. A Yolo County sheriff's lieutenant told the paper that copper wire thefts have increased across the county, including in agricultural areas south of Davis.
The thefts stretch even farther afield. Washington State Patrol troopers were seeking the owner of construction-grade copper wire and tools recovered during a separate traffic stop in Wenatchee that also turned up drugs and a firearm, per YourSourceOne. And in downtown Los Angeles, a larger operation resulted in two arrests and the seizure of roughly four tons of copper, including an estimated 3,000 feet of stolen telecommunications wire valued at about $102,000, according to NBC Los Angeles. That outlet's reporting described growing concern over copper wire theft statewide, noting the crimes have caused power and telecommunications outages in some cases.
Back in Lathrop, the investigation remains open as police work to pin down exactly where Tuesday night's copper wiring originated. For now, the department's message to local builders is straightforward: check your sites, and call if something's missing.
