The San Bernardino, CA Sheriff's Office believes it has busted a copper-theft ring after catching two of the ring's six members trying to take wiring from a vacant building.
The local CBS affiliate in Los Angeles is reporting that catching the two in mid-theft led them to a residence, where they found "several thousand pounds of copper wiring" along with tools and other equipment as well as narcotics.
The six people arrested - three men and three women - face charges including burglary and possession of stolen property.
Copper theft remains a rampant problem not just in California or the United States, but in many parts of the world as the price of copper remains high, tempting thieves to cash in on its scrap price.
The image at the bottom of this page, released by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, shows the six accused. Top, left-to-right: Jonathan Kirkman, Daniel Melendez, Shawn Pickrall. Bottom, left-to-right: Linda Jurado, Patricia Lua, Maria Notarangeli.