Contra Costa County Residents Arrested In Connection With Industrial Area Copper Theft

Police in Benicia foiled several alleged copper thieves in the city’s industrial area this month, the department said. Four people were arrested for alleged thefts of copper in the area off East Second Street, including crimes of stolen wiring and vandalism exceeding $5,000, according to police. An officer allegedly observed two men loading copper cable into U-Haul truck. When the officers approached, the U-Haul sped off along with another vehicle. Police pursued the U-Haul all the way to the city of San Pablo, where two men in the vehicle hopped out and began to run on foot. Both men were eventually detained by the San Pablo Police Department.

Meanwhile, a woman driving the second vehicle was located in the 1900 block of East Second in Benicia and was taken into custody. A fourth suspect was apprehended as he emerged from hiding at the site of the theft, police said. Arrested were Contra Costa residents Tiffany Cochran, 30, on suspicion of conspiracy and being in possession of burglary tools; Robert Schlitz, 32, and Alvarado Ramirez, 36, both on suspicion of grand theft of copper, conspiracy and being in possession of a controlled substance; and Antonio Ramirez, 46, on suspicion of conspiracy and being in possession of drug paraphernalia.