STRIKING WHILE THE COPPER IS HOT TRAFFIC VIOLATION NETS THEFT SUSPECTS.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Staff Writer

PALMDALE -- Two men stopped because the registration tag on their van was expired were arrested Monday morning on suspicion of stealing thousands of dollars worth of copper wire, a sheriff's deputy said.

Donald Chavez, 22, of Oklahoma City, Okla., and Michael Robertson, 22, of Lebec were spotted at 5:30 a.m. on Palmdale Boulevard driving a black van that appeared to be heavily weighed down, sheriff's Deputy Joseph Fender said.

Inside the van was $30,000 worth of industrial copper wire, power saws, bolt cutters, night-vision goggles and about $5,000 in cash, Fender said.

The men told Fender they found the wire in a remote desert region, he said.

Thick copper wire commonly used by power companies and contractors at construction sites -- typically 2 to 3 inches in diameter -- has become a popular target for thieves in the last year.

Fender said the wire is relatively easy to steal amid the Antelope Valley's wide open space, especially in the early-morning hours, when sheriff's deputies typically focus on urban areas.

He said once the protective sheath is removed, the copper is sold to recycling stations, usually for about a third of its value.

Fender estimated the van contained about a ton of the wire.

``They had so much wire in there that van was lowered about 6 inches off the ground,'' Fender said.

Fender said the wire's origin was not known. He said most of the copper wire recovered has a Southern California Edison stamp.

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2 photos

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(1) Suspected thieves were caught in Palmdale early Monday morning after sheriff's deputies pulled them over for a traffic violation and discovered the vehicle loaded with thousands of dollars of reportedly stolen industrial copper wire and tools.

(2) Sheriff's deputies discovered a van loaded with thousands of dollars of industrial copper wire and tools Monday that were believed stolen in the Antelope Valley.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News