CHARLOTTE — Four people were arrested after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers found stolen copper in a truck in west Charlotte.
Officers say the four were arrested last month in west Charlotte near the Absolute Learning Academy off Freedom Drive.
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CMPD was checking out an unsecured fence and the smell of burnt plastic to make sure there wasn’t a fire hazard.
That’s when officers say the four suspects approached them in a truck.
Officers say there was $3,000 worth of AT&T copper wire, climbing gear and cutting gear under a comforter in the bed of the truck.
Ph Ren Y, Y Menh Nie, Vuh A, and Son Nguyen were arrested and charged with felony possession of stolen property, first degree trespassing and felony conspiracy. Nguyen was also charged in relation to an additional copper theft incident.
Channel 9 reached out to AT&T, which thanked CMPD for its quick action.
The company says copper theft is a serious criminal matter that disrupts service for its customers, public safety and the community at large.