Two suspected copper wire thieves arrested in Henderson

By Jackie Valley

Monday, April 8, 2013 | 5:37 p.m.

Two men suspected of stealing copper wire from light poles told Henderson Police they were in the area for a bike ride early Sunday morning, officials said.

Officers stopped the two men — Brent E. Martin, 34, and Devin A. Mann, 24 — about 4:50 a.m. Sunday near Paseo Verde and Horizon Ridge parkways, police said.

Police were conducting patrols in the area of the Paseo Verde trailhead after finding nearby lights prepped for copper wire theft, officials said. A white or light-colored vehicle with two bikes was seen leaving the area earlier in the week, a citizen told police.

Sunday morning, officers spotted a car with a bike rack and two bikes leaving the area of the trailhead, police said. The vehicle had various tools and copper wire in plain sight, police said.

The suspects told officers they were in the area for a bike ride, but police didn’t buy their explanation. Authorities said both bikes were in very poor condition, and one was a child-size, BMX-type bicycle.

Police arrested Martin and Mann and booked them into the Henderson Detention Center on counts of felony theft of scrap metal, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy to commit theft of scrap metal, officials said.

Copper wire thieves often target street lights, communication towers, construction sites and, in recent years, foreclosed homes and air-conditioning units, police said.