Suspicious wire stripping incident investigated by UHP


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SALT LAKE CITY — A motorist spotted very suspicious activity Wednesday afternoon: people stripping copper wire on the side of the interstate. Moments later, the Utah Highway Patrol caught the suspects with the wire, and state investigators will try to figure out where it came from.

"Their stories weren't jiving," Sgt. Blaine Robbins of the Utah Highway Patrol said of the suspects. "It wasn't making a lot of sense."

The suspects told police they found the wire in a dumpster in Roosevelt and were bringing it to Salt Lake City to strip it and sell it.

"To just find it in the dumpster, or lying around, wherever it is that they found it, it does seem a little suspicious," said Robbins. "Copper wire does have a value to it, and most companies that discard copper wire aren't just going to throw it in the dumpster."


To just find it in the dumpster, or lying around, wherever it is that they found it, it does seem a little suspicious.Copper wire does have a value to it, and most companies that discard copper wire aren't just going to throw it in the dumpster.

–Sgt. Blaine Robbins of the Utah Highway Patrol


When state troopers showed up, the suspects were stripping the plastic casing off of the wire near the mouth of Parleys Canyon in the chain-up area of I-80. While investigators think they may have caught the suspects red-handed with a truckload of copper wire, proving the case will take some follow-up.

A utility worker called in the suspicious activity. He said he was driving up the canyon when he spotted a truck and a sedan in the chain-up area with a bundle of wire. He took the next exit and doubled back to the chain-up area. That's when he saw the people stripping the wire and called 911.

"What a heads-up play by a member of the public to help catch these guys," said John Gleason, a UDOT spokesman.

Initially, UDOT thought it might be their wire being stolen out of their lights or a traffic camera overhead.

That's what happened on Legacy Highway and on I-15 a couple of years ago, adding up to more than $450,000 in replacement costs. UDOT subsequently switched to aluminum wire after so many copper thefts.

"This is a big deal because this is costing all of us as taxpayers a lot of money," said Gleason.

While police caught the suspects stripping the wire, proving they stole it is the focus of their investigation. Police questioned the two suspects but did not arrest anyone.

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Jed Boal

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