By admin 
Three people were arrested earlier this week after Woodland police found heavy-gauge copper wire and cutting tools in their vehicle near a community center where wiring had been stolen from about 10 light poles, authorities said.
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The arrests came amid an increase in copper wire thefts across Yolo County, where thieves have targeted agricultural equipment from south of Davis to the northern end of the county, Lt. Don Harmon of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said.
Three Sacramento residents were arrested early Thursday and booked into the Yolo County Jail on multiple charges, the Woodland Police Department said Friday.
Woodland police discovered Tuesday morning that copper wiring had been pulled from electrical boxes at the Woodland Community & Senior Center on the 2000 block of East Street, affecting about 10 light poles, according to the department.
About 1:55 a.m. Thursday, a police K-9 officer was patrolling the Community Center when a silver Honda entered the parking lot, police said. The vehicle immediately left after its occupants saw the officer, according to the department.
The officer stopped the Honda and found three people inside. A records check showed one occupant had outstanding warrants from Sacramento County, police said.
A police dog alerted officers to the possible presence of narcotics in the vehicle, prompting a search. Officers found several grams of methamphetamine along with heavy-gauge copper wire and tools used to cut and strip wire, police said.
Woodland police did not specify what charges each person faced.
The department also did not say the three were responsible for the earlier theft at the Community Center. Police said Friday that the investigation into the stolen copper wire remained ongoing.
Sheriff seeks suspects in Davis-area copper thefts
Harmon said the Sheriff’s Office was investigating copper thefts spanning much of Yolo County, including agricultural areas south of Davis.
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“We’ve got copper thefts going all the way from south of the city of Davis … all the way up to the top of the county,” Harmon said.
The timing of the reports could partly reflect farmers discovering damage as they begin operating agricultural pumps, Harmon said. The value of the metal also provides an incentive for thieves.
Copper has recently traded at historically high levels. The metal had been trading in a range of roughly $6.30 to $6.89 after rising from a June 24 low of about $5.93, Reuters reported.
Harmon said the financial loss from a theft can extend well beyond the value of the copper itself because thieves can damage expensive agricultural equipment while removing wiring.
“It’s not just the value of the copper or the wire itself,” Harmon said. “It’s also the damage to the ag pumps.”
The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office was separately seeking two Stockton residents in connection with copper wire stolen from agricultural irrigation pumps.
Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers identified the suspects as Hanh Xuan Nguyen and Yian Chiem Saephanh. Both were wanted on felony warrants for grand theft and conspiracy.
Harmon said investigators were looking at other people in connection with copper thefts as well. Anyone with information about their whereabouts or thefts were asked to contact the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office at 530-668-5248 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357 or sacvalleycrimestoppers.com. Tips can be made anonymously and could qualify for a reward for up to $1,000.
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