Investigators track down pair of suspects in copper pipe thefts

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies Tuesday announced the second of two arrests as part of their investigation into a pair of men caught on camera stealing copper piping.

Deputies had been seeking a second suspect after a report of the Jan. 21 theft valued at approximately $3,200, which happened outside of Vibrex, a business on Witherspoon Parkway in Valencia.

At around 4:30 p.m., the suspects parked parallel to a back-flow valve, grabbed a large water-main shut-off tool from the SUV they were in and one suspect used a reciprocating saw to sever the back-flow valve after the other suspect turned off the water.

In addition to being caught on security footage committing the crime, the suspects committed the act in an Enterprise Rent-a-car, which helped detectives track the suspect to a Saugus address, according to court documents obtained by The Signal

Detectives arrested the first suspect Feb. 22 as investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in the 22600 block of Barcotta Drive in Saugus, according to an email from Natalie Arriaga, spokeswoman for the SCV Sheriff’s Station.

Investigators reported recovering two reciprocating saws, the watermain shut-off tool and a catalytic converter, as well as clothing items worn by the suspects in the security footage obtained by deputies.

Detectives ultimately determined that he was responsible for two additional incidents of theft, and arrested him on suspicion of four counts of grand theft.

The second suspect was arrested March 16, during a surveillance operation by the station’s Crime Impact Team.

The charges for the second suspect were not immediately available, according to Arriaga.