Personnel from the Tucson Electric Power contacted the Tucson Police Department about suspected metal theft that occurred at the main power plant facility located at 3950 East Irvington Road. Tucson Electric Power employees indicated that they believed that copper wire, both scrap wire and new wire, was stolen from the main power plant at some point between the dates of November 9, 2013 and November 11, 2013.
The value of the stolen copper wire was estimated at approximately $2,800.00 and had an approximate length of 150 feet.
Investigators located the stolen wire and recovered it from a local scrap yard. They also identified the person responsible for the copper wire theft and subsequent transaction at the local scrap yard. He was identified as Manuel Castaneda, 31-years-old. The investigators additionally learned that Castaneda had scrapped over 1,000 pounds of copper wire between the dates of November 6, 2013 and November 10, 2013 at a second scrap yard location. This additional wire was also recovered.
Further investigation revealed that Castaneda had been involved in scrapping various metals over an approximately 1-year period of time, earning over $13,000.00 in profit during that time period. It was discovered that Castaneda worked for a subcontractor of a general contractor, who worked at the TEP main power plant.
He used his position as a subcontractor employee to gain access to TEP secured lots and facilities. Ultimately, Castaneda was arrested on November 19, 2013 for 2 counts of Theft, a class 5 felony, and 2 counts of Trafficking in Stolen Property, a class 2 felony. He was transported and booked into the Pima County Jail. A booking photograph of Mr. Castaneda is included. The investigation continues with respect to Castaneda’s activities, as it is possible that there are additional victims in various areas of Pima and Cochise counties.
The Tucson Police Department is commending the actions of the scrap yards, whose cooperation, they say, greatly contributed to the quick resolution of the investigation. Both local scrap yards appropriately documented the transactions involving the scrap copper wire that they purchased from Castaneda. By following the Arizona State laws and protocols related to the purchase and sale of scrap metals, these businesses played an integral part in the successful recovery of the stolen wire as well as of the identification of Castaneda.