Tag: copper wire theft

SANTA MONICA—On Sunday, November 16, the Santa Monica Police Department reported that they arrested a copper wire theft suspect.

The incident was reported on November 4, when officers assigned to our Directed Action Response Team (DART) arrested a suspect in the 400 block of Colorado Avenue after observing narcotics activity in public.

During the contact, officers recovered multiple coils of stolen copper wire, along with bolt cutters, screwdrivers, wrenches, a pry bar, and other burglary tools.

The suspect was taken into custody for possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, and narcotics-related violations.

The SMPD is continuing to work in the city to deter theft, provide support to local businesses and maintain a safe environment for residents and visitors. The name and age of the suspect has not yet been disclosed to the public.

 

By Danny Jones

SANTA MONICA—On Friday, February 7, Lt. Gilmour with the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News that a suspect involved in a string of copper wire thefts was arrested.

The SMPD reported on Wednesday, February 5, officers located Juan Carlos Gonzalez Alvarado, 43, near the 1500 block of Colorado Avenue, pushing a city-owned trash container containing over 300 pounds of copper wire.

Further investigation revealed that the loose wire matched that of recently damaged underground electrical pull boxes at nine locations along Colorado Avenue.

Gonzalez Alvarado was arrested on the following charges:

-487(a)PC – Grand Theft over $950

-594(b)(1)PC – Defacement/Damage over $400

-11377(a)HS – Possession of a controlled substance

-466 PC – Possession of burglar tools

Santa Monica maintains more than 6,000 streetlights for proper visibility on roadways and sidewalks. Theft of wire from streetlights is not only illegal, but compromises safety, leaving neighborhoods, roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks without light for extended periods.

Such criminal activity leads to damage to the internal conduits, disrupting the entire system and requiring significant time, resources, and funding to repair and replace the damaged infrastructure, including the missing wire.

Anyone with details related to this incident or other incidents is asked to contact Detective Michael Castruita at michael.castruita@santamonica.gov, Sergeant Cooney at shaun.cooney@santamonica.gov or the Watch Commander 24 hours at 310-458-8427.

By Trevor