CHP arrests two parolees after Fresno County freeway copper theft

Two parolees were arrested after a California Highway Patrol aircraft spotted them ripping copper wire from a Fresno County freeway overpass with a truck, putting repeat offenders at the center of another hit to local infrastructure.

On April 29, 2026, CHP Central Division Air Operations said Air-1 was on patrol when officers saw two people at the overpass tearing a large amount of copper wire from the freeway. The pair were then seen collecting the wire before officers on the ground moved in and arrested them. Authorities later determined both suspects were on parole, and both now face multiple charges.

The arrest lands in a county that has spent years treating copper theft as more than a property crime. Fresno County officials have said copper wire theft cost farmers, businesses and residents more than $3 million in 2023 alone. Across the Central Valley, local reports have documented thefts from schools, businesses, overpasses and streetlight and traffic-signal infrastructure, the kind of damage that can leave roadsides darker and roadway equipment vulnerable until repairs are made.

County leaders have already pushed for stronger tools. In April 2025, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously advanced an ordinance making it a crime to possess or transport stolen copper wire. Under the proposal, deputies could cite or arrest people found with more than 10 pounds of suspected stolen copper wire, though county officials acknowledged there could be conflicts with state law. Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni has said deputies often find tools and wire in vehicles but cannot always make an arrest because the stolen property cannot be proven. Supervisor Nathan Magsig said the county needed another tool to combat copper theft.

Officials later said the local crackdown appeared to be helping. Sheriff’s office spokesman Tony Botti said reports of copper wire theft were down about 60% after the ordinance. State lawmakers also stepped in last fall, when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 476 to expand copper-theft rules, require more documentation from metal buyers and sellers, and increase some fines to $5,000. Another proposal, AB 1218, has been described as a possible longer-term fix if it becomes law.

CHP Air Operations, which helped spot the theft in progress, has served California since the early 1960s. The program now runs eight strategically located air units with more than 150 pilots, paramedics and flight officers across the state’s 163,696 square miles, a scale that proved decisive in stopping the suspects before more copper disappeared from the freeway.