Yuba County: Two Arrested Amid Recent Rise in Copper Wire Thefts
“In response to the high number of wire theft crimes reported lately by unsuspecting victims, deputies with the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department set out this past Friday evening, April 26, 2024, proactively patrolling the more rural parts of the county.
After observing two subjects on bicycles who matched the description of a recent wire theft suspect recorded on a trail camera, deputies contacted 23-year-old Fernando Hernandez and 49-year-old Marcos Martinez, both transient. Deputies quickly identified evidence connecting the men to wire theft crimes, and both were taken into custody without incident.
Both Hernandez and Martinez were booked into the Yuba County Jail for several charges including grand theft of copper materials, vandalism, conspiracy, and possession of burglary tools. A search warrant was executed at the campsite where the two were living and additional evidence pertaining to the thefts was located.
This case and similar crimes are still being investigated. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 749-7777.”
