SAN ANTONIO — A high-tech construction theft ring has been dismantled. Two men were arrested and more than $250,000 in stolen electrical components and copper wiring have been recovered.
The arrests of Rodrine Alexis Garcia Rivera, 31, and Pedro Lozano Moreno, 68, follow a long-term investigation by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office into an uptick in “neighborhood sweeps,” where thieves target multiple new-construction homes on a single street to strip them of high-value electrical breakers and copper.
“Thieves will come through and wipe out a whole neighborhood,” said Sheriff Javier Salazar. “They’ll go in, cut the wires, and steal all the breakers. Next thing you know, a construction company is out several thousand dollars.”
The Investigation and Raid
Deputies developed information regarding a suspect buying and selling stolen circuit breakers and spools of Romex copper wiring. After observing an illegal transaction, investigators executed search warrants at Rivera’s West Bexar County residence and a related storage unit…