Search Warrant Leads to Discovery of 200 Pounds of Stolen Copper Wire; Two Arrested
Above: Cut copper wire seized during search warrant
(Photos courtesy of KCSO)
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office has made two arrests amid a recent surge in copper wire thefts within rural areas of the county.
According to a press release by the Sheriff’s Office, the Rural Crime Investigations Unit conducted an investigation into an alleged copper wire theft incident near the Stockdale Highway and Enos Lane area on Friday, January 12. Evidence obtained during the investigation led to the identification of Samuel Lane, 35, of Bakersfield, as a suspect in the case.
Confiscated firearms
On January 26, Rural Crime Detectives, along with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team, served a search warrant on the 1300 block of Castaic Avenue. During the search, law enforcement officers reportedly discovered around 200 pounds of cut copper wire, approximately one ounce of suspected methamphetamine, 16 firearms, and multiple live rounds of ammunition.
Both Samuel Lane and Kylee Peer, 28, also from Bakersfield, were arrested and booked at the Lerdo Justice Inmate Receiving Center.
Lane reportedly faces several charges, including in possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition by a felon, possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of narcotics, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, grand theft of copper wire, vandalism, and conspiracy.
Peer was arrested on suspicion of grand theft of copper wire, vandalism, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property.
Individuals with information related to this investigation are urged to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Rural Crime Investigations Unit at 661-392-6093 or the Secret Witness Hotline at 661-322-4040.
