BEVERLY HILLS — Arrests were made by police on Friday, December 6 in connection to thefts of copper wiring from street lights.
Michael Padilla, Frolin Silva, Brian Gomez, Horacio Galindo and Fransisco Martinez have all been arrested and booked for felony charges related to the recent copper thefts in the city. All the suspects are 18-years-old, with the exception of Gomez, who is 19.
According to a press release from the Beverly Hills Police Department, an officer was in the area of Rexford Drive and Lomitas Avenue around 1:50 a.m. when it was noticed that the street lights in the area were out. When looking for criminal activity, the officer stopped a suspicious vehicle in the area with the suspects inside. When the investigation of the vehicle on-scene was conducted, evidence of the theft of copper wiring and tools used to tamper with street lights were found, and the suspects were subsequently arrested.
Sergeant Max Subin of the Beverly Hills Police told Canyon News in an email that there was no incident involved in the arrest. He also noted that although these individuals were caught with evidence linking them to copper wiring theft, it remains to be seen by the investigation whether these suspects are the ones involved in the most recent thefts of copper, including the incident from November 27. When asked if there are possibly more people involved in the crimes, Sgt. Subin responded, “That’s to be determined.”
Padilla, Gomez, and Galindo have been booked by police. Gomez is being held on a bail amount of $20,611, while Padilla and Galindo are being held for $20,000. They are all due back in court on Tuesday, December 10.
