VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — A multi-agency investigation into widespread copper wire thefts targeting critical telecommunications infrastructure across Ventura County has led to the arrest of a suspect accused of spearheading the criminal ring, public safety officials announced Thursday.
Detectives with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office arrested 43-year-old Marvin Moises Colindres-Perez of North Hills on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, following the execution of a search warrant at a residence in the 8000 block of Columbus Avenue in North Hills.
Investigators say Colindres-Perez operated as a key ringleader in a organized crew responsible for systematically severing utility lines and stealing commercial copper wiring across several unincorporated regions of the county between March and July 2026.
Disruption of Emergency Infrastructure and Rural Communications
According to official investigative details released by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, the continuous theft of utility lines caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in physical infrastructure damage across Fillmore, Moorpark, and Ojai.
Sheriff's officials emphasized that cutting commercial communication lines poses severe, direct threats to public safety. The destruction disrupted traditional landline telephone services, high-speed internet connectivity, and primary emergency 911 dispatch communications relied upon by both rural residents and emergency first responders.
When copper utility lines are severed, local residents in affected areas are frequently left unable to report active fires, medical emergencies, or crimes in progress. Public safety officials noted that these infrastructure outages create dangerous communication delays for emergency dispatchers and responding personnel when every second counts.
Multi-Station Investigation and Search Warrant Arrest
The law enforcement breakthrough followed months of joint investigative work conducted by detectives assigned to the Sheriff’s Fillmore, Moorpark, and Ojai stations.
Detectives reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance camera footage, conducted physical evidence analyses along targeted utility corridors, and tracked getaway vehicles linked to the crimes.
In June 2026, Moorpark station deputies intercepted four members of the theft crew directly during the commission of an active utility line theft. All four individuals were arrested and subsequently released on bail pending formal court proceedings.
As detectives expanded their inquiry into the crew's leadership, they identified Colindres-Perez as a central figure coordinating the operations. During the August 5 search warrant service in North Hills, officers contacted Colindres-Perez and recovered physical evidence directly linking him to the Ventura County copper wire thefts.
"The theft of copper wire from communication infrastructure has a significant impact on the community by disrupting telephone, internet, and emergency communication systems that residents and first responders rely upon every day," the Ventura County Sheriff's Office stated in an official release prepared by Sergeant Jarrod Foote. "Damage to these critical systems can delay the reporting of emergencies, hinder communication between dispatchers and responding personnel, and ultimately increase response times."
Booking Information and Criminal Charges
Following his arrest in North Hills, Colindres-Perez was extradited to Ventura County and booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.
He faces multiple severe felony counts under the California Penal Code:
- California Penal Code § 182(a)(1): Felony Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
- California Penal Code § 487j: Grand Theft of Copper
- California Penal Code § 591: Malicious Severing or Injuring of a Telegraph, Telephone, or Electric Line
Colindres-Perez remains held in county custody in lieu of $170,000 bail pending his upcoming formal arraignment hearing in Ventura County Superior Court.
Investigating detectives urge anyone with additional information regarding copper wire thefts or suspicious activity near utility infrastructure in unincorporated Ventura County to contact Detective Axel Morales at (805) 477-7011 or Detective Dustin Heersche at (805) 477-7012. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Ventura County Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS (8477).