Man arrested for allegedly stealing copper from Palisades Fire job site

A Norwalk man was arrested for grand theft on Wednesday for allegedly stealing about $5,000 worth of copper from a construction site in the Palisades Fire zone.

California Highway Patrol officers stopped a pickup truck Wednesday afternoon along Pacific Coast Highway, east of Sunset Boulevard for expired registration.

The truck was loaded with approximately 1,000 pounds of copper and the driver, Ernesto Alegria Ramirez, told officers he had permission to take the melted, mangled metal from a job site.

Officers said they were suspicious of the 22-year-old's story and a company foreman from the job site confirmed that Ramirez was not authorized to take the copper, and he was arrested for grand theft.

"CHP officers have remained actively involved in the recovery efforts for the Pacific Palisades community, offering support and resources to those affected by the fire," the CHP West Valley department said in a statement.