3 men arrested in copper wiring theft at old hospital site

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say three men were arrested for allegedly stealing 2,000 feet (610 meters) of copper electrical wiring from an old Santa Rosa hospital site.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the three men, all at least 50 years old and from Santa Rosa, were arrested Friday at the old Sutter hospital building after a car was seen and found to be full of stolen electrical wiring.

Police say officers responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at 7 a.m. Friday. The vehicle had been seen in the area before. A search of the car turned up $3,000 of stolen copper electrical wire.

The three men were booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of burglary, vandalism, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

The site closed in 2014 when Sutter moved its operation.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com