Benicia police arrest 4 following series of copper thefts
Authorities in Benicia said four people were arrested last week on suspicion of stealing copper from businesses in the Solano County community.
Officers made the arrests on July 9 in connection with thefts that took place over the preceding week in the industrial area off East 2nd Street. The estimated value of the stolen wiring along with the vandalism exceeded $5,000.
Around 7:30 a.m., a detective found two men who were loading copper cable into a U-Haul rental truck. As officers responded, the U-Haul fled the scene along with a second vehicle.
Benicia police pursued the U-Haul nearly 20 miles to San Pablo. The two men in the truck fled on foot and were arrested by San Pablo police soon after.
Meanwhile officers located the driver of the second vehicle on the 1900 block of East 2nd Street and took her into custody. Police arrested a fourth suspect after they said he emerged from hiding at the site of the theft.
Police in a statement identified the suspects as a 31-year-old woman and 47-year-old man from Richmond, a 48-year-old man from El Sobrante and a 46-year-old man from San Francisco.