Police Make Arrests In Copper Wire Thefts
Colorado Springs police said on Friday that they spent several weeks identifying and watching four people suspected of stealing copper wire.
A police report listed Charles McNew, Brad Remington, Anthony Nerone and Lori Trujillo as being arrested on charges of theft and conspiracy to commit theft. Bond for each is set at $100,000.
Police announced the arrests a day after recovering some of the stolen wire at a local metal recycling business and two days after the theft was reported from streetlight poles along Highway 83 near New Life Church.
Theft of the metal has been a concern in the city for the past year, with 300 poles targeted, said city spokesman John Leavitt. He said repairing a damaged pole costs $1,000 and can take months to return to service.
Police organized a Metal Theft Task Force to cope with the problem. Members were unavailable for comment Friday, but Leavitt explained how some copper thieves operate.
“If you drive by on the street, they’re dressed like work crews,” said Leavitt. “They have a work truck; they have hard hats on; they might have safety vests. You should be suspicious if you see a crew without an ID or a vehicle logo from Colorado Springs Utilities, and call police.”
Police said they found evidence of copper theft at McNew’s residence, a hotel room on West Colorado Avenue. Remington already awaits trial in connection with a separate copper theft that happened in the spring.
