Thief had ‘enough copper wire to rewire small building’: deputies

(KRON) — Deputies said a 31-year-old man faces several charges after he was caught with a bunch of stolen copper wire and piping in his vehicle following a traffic stop, said the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.

SCCSO said the driver of a Chevy Suburban was pulled over for its license plates not matching the car. The arresting deputy soon discovered the plates were stolen from a Jeep in Oakland, and the vehicle was reported stolen in San Jose.

“Inside the SUV was enough copper wire and piping to rewire a small building,” said the sheriff’s office. “The driver, 31-year-old Andrew Reyes, was already on Post-Release Community Supervision (PRCS) and gave a questionable explanation. To make matters worse, he tried to smuggle drugs into the Santa Clara County Main Jail!”

The sheriff’s office did not disclose the time and location of the incident.

Reyes’ list of charges includes auto theft, possession of stolen property, copper theft, drug paraphernalia possession, attempting to bring contraband into a jail, and violating PRCS terms, confirmed SCCSO.

The sheriff’s office said the recovered Chevy Suburban has been reunited with its owner.