Hello, this is Antelope Valley!
Detectives at Lancaster Station are investigating a series of thefts of expensive electrical wires. The suspects stole thousands of feet of copper communications cable over multiple incidents. These thefts occur in sparsely populated, unincorporated county areas with no surveillance cameras, no witnesses, and minimal actionable information. The impact of the theft of these communications lines can cause communication outages, such as 911 service lines, with dire consequences for local residents in need of emergency response.
In late September 2024, a witness saw an adult male suspect cut wires and get into a white van.
On October 31, 2024, two members of the Lancaster Station Off-Highway Enforcement Team were searching the area of East 120th Street and Lancaster Boulevard when they discovered a large quantity of communication wire insulation discarded in the desert. I did. Deputies followed a trail trailing from a pile of discarded insulation to a temporary site near 130th Street East and Lancaster Boulevard. Upon making contact with the woman at the scene, officers observed burn marks where the suspect had used fire to strip the plastic insulation of the electrical wires. Deputies called for backup, secured the location and took several people into custody, including the suspect.
A search warrant was prepared and served on the premises. There was a large ditch on the property and a shipping container was located below the ground. Part of the shipping container’s floor was removed and replaced with chain links to create a high-capacity wire stripping oven. A large amount of communication wire insulation was discovered on the premises. Lancaster Station personnel located and recovered a stolen vehicle, stolen trailer, stolen commercial generator, and stolen backhoe tractor at the scene. Seven large pallets, each containing new solar panels, were discovered and recovered as likely stolen property.
Total estimated losses were more than $4 million, including materials, damage, and cable repair/replacement costs.
As a result of this investigation, seven suspects were arrested.
