Long Beach man arrested with nearly 40 pounds of stolen copper wiring, police say

Long Beach police arrested a man on Wednesday who they said allegedly had nearly 40 pounds of copper wiring that he had stolen from city lighting fixtures. 

In a news release, Long Beach Police Department officials said that their officers had been "actively investigating a recent increase" in regional copper theft incidents. While investigating those alleged thefts, police who were working patrol in the 3600 block of Orange Avenue allegedly saw a man who they said was tampering with the electrical wiring on a light fixture, the release said. 

"After detaining the suspect, further investigation revealed the suspect was in possession of approximately 39 pounds of wiring believed to have been stolen from city light pole infrastructure, along with tools used to steal wiring," according to the release.

Officers also said that they located additional evidence of vandalism to city lights in the 3500 and 3600 blocks of Orange Avenue, leading to the suspect's arrest. He was identified as 30-year-old Long Beach man Saul Chavez Viveros. 

Viveros was booked for grand theft and felony vandalism, police said. 

"The LBPD takes these incidents seriously and will not tolerate criminal behavior," the release said. "Officers and detectives will continue collaborating with other city departments and working tirelessly to identify and arrest any suspects responsible."

Police shared a set of tips that could help people prevent wire theft from their own properties, including making sure that there was adequate lighting around utility areas, rooftops and alleyways, trimming landscaping around utility boxes and HVACs, reporting suspicious activity, installing locks or cages around HVAC units and exposed piping, and installing security gates and camera systems.

Anyone who knows more was asked to contact LBPD Burglary Detail detectives at 562-570-7351.