HURON, Calif. (FOX26) — A copper wire theft that caused an estimated $40,000 in losses at a farm near Huron has led to the arrest of a man after investigators say they found suspected stolen wire and three firearms, including a privately manufactured “ghost gun.”
Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Ag Task Force arrested 35-year-old Salvador Silva Valdovinos of Huron.
He was booked into the Fresno County Jail on charges of possession of firearms by a felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and auto theft. Bail was set at $362,500.
Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Ag Task Force arrested 35-year-old Salvador Silva Valdovinos of Huron.{ } (Photo: FCSO)
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Authorities said Valdovinos was out on bail at the time of his arrest in connection with a previous copper wire theft case.
The investigation began on Tuesday, when deputies responded to Howard and Palmer avenues near Huron for a report of grand theft of copper wire.
Deputies arrived at the farm and found copper wire had been stolen from an irrigation well and an electrical panel.
The theft and damage resulted in about $40,000 loss, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Surveillance cameras on the property recorded a pickup truck and a man who appeared to be carrying a rifle.
Ag Task Force detectives responded and took over the investigation.
On Wednesday, detectives spotted a similar-looking pickup truck in Huron, stopped it, and identified the driver as Valdovinos.
The truck was reported stolen, and investigators said Valdovinos matched the man seen in the surveillance video.
Valdovinos was detained, and detectives served a search warrant at his apartment with assistance from FSO patrol, the California Highway Patrol, and the Kings County Rural Crime Task Force.
Investigators said they found a small amount of suspected stolen copper wire and three firearms: a privately manufactured “ghost gun” Glock-style pistol, a bolt-action rifle, and an AR-15 that matched the one seen in the video.
He was arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail on theft and weapons charges.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with additional information about Valdovinos is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 559-600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867 or www.valleycrimestoppers.org. Reference case No. 26-3359.