Santa Ana Man Arrested After Allegedly Hiding in Storm Drain Following Irvine Copper Wire Theft

A man suspected of stealing copper wire in Irvine tried to outrun police on a bicycle and then on foot, only to end up cornered inside a storm drain, according to the Irvine Police Department.

Police identified the suspect as Arturo Mendozapedroza, 27, of Santa Ana. He was booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of attempted grand theft, felony vandalism and resisting arrest. Officers say they interrupted the alleged theft and then tracked him to the drain, where he had gone into hiding.

Authorities said the man first tried to get away by bicycle, then abandoned it and ran. Officers eventually found him inside the storm drain and took him into custody.

Based on the allegations released by police, prosecutors could pursue a mix of felony and misdemeanor charges. Grand theft under California Penal Code section 487 generally involves property worth more than $950. An attempt is often punishable by up to half the sentence for the completed offense, and a felony grand theft conviction can carry up to three years in county jail.

Felony vandalism, which is common in copper theft cases because thieves often cut utility lines or damage equipment to reach the metal, can bring up to three years in custody plus restitution for repair costs. Resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer is generally charged under Penal Code section 148(a)(1) and is typically a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail.

If convicted on several counts, the suspect could face jail time, probation conditions, fines, court fees and substantial restitution for damaged infrastructure. Any sentence would depend on his criminal history, the value of the property, the extent of the damage and any plea agreement with prosecutors.

Copper theft has become one of California's costliest property crimes because the harm usually far exceeds the value of the metal. Investigators across the state have linked such thefts to outages affecting streetlights, internet service, telecommunications, traffic signals and emergency communications. Officials have pushed for tougher scrap-metal rules and enhanced penalties, and state lawmakers approved legislation requiring more documentation and verification for scrap-metal transactions to shrink the resale market for stolen copper.

Law enforcement agencies throughout Orange County continue to report arrests tied to stolen copper wire, catalytic converters, bronze plaques and other metals. Cases have ranged from individuals carrying backpacks of stripped wire to organized rings involving hundreds of pounds of metal and losses reaching into the millions of dollars. Based on publicly reported arrests and investigations over the past several years, the cities appearing most often are Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Irvine and Orange, which have large commercial areas, utility networks, construction activity and transportation corridors.

Copper may fetch a modest sum at a scrapyard, but replacing wiring, repairing utility equipment and restoring communications systems often costs many times more. Authorities in California have reported incidents causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, service disruptions and public-safety risks. Whether Mendozapedroza faces felony convictions will be decided through the court process.