Crime & Safety
Menifee, Temecula Pair Arrested After Allegedly Caught Red-Handed Stealing Copper
Sheriff's officials report the man and woman were "in the process" of stealing heavy gauge copper cable when a deputy spotted them in Rancho Mirage.
Two people were arrested for allegedly stealing copper cable from a electrical hub in Rancho Mirage Monday.
Around 3:15 a.m., Riverside County sheriff's deputies on patrol saw a suspicious vehicle parked behind a commercial building near Bob Hope Drive and Highway 111 and arrested 42-year-old Gregory Strahl of Temecula when he tried to run from the area, sheriff Sgt. Andy Martinez said.
"The officer determined that Strahl and a female occupant of the vehicle, identified (as) Loueenia Skgelstad, 43, of Menifee, were in the process of removing heavy-gauge copper cable from within an electrical room that distributes electricity to numerous business suites within the complex," Martinez said.
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Strahl and Skgelstad were arrested on suspicion of burglary and booked into the county jail in Indio.
"Copper theft is a serious offense plaguing our communities and the Rancho Mirage Police Department will maintain a high level of proactive patrols in an effort to identify and apprehend those offenders," Martinez said.
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– City News Service contributed to this report.
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