Copper thief admits to gutting downspouts

A Santa Ana man recently convicted of stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of copper downspouts from a Newport Beach home was responsible for at least 10 other similar crimes, according to Newport Beach police.

Antonio Beltran, 34, pleaded guilty last week to stealing two copper downspouts, or rain gutters, from a home on the Balboa Peninsula in late June that were worth $700.

Police were called after a neighbor in the 400 block of M Street described Beltran to police and took down his license plate number. Police soon found Beltran and arrested him, Sgt. Evan Sailor said.

Police found not only the copper downspouts, but more copper items from other homes.

Copper thefts have increased across the nation in the last few years, authorities say, as the metal’s value has risen. Criminals generally sell the copper to scrap metal yards or recycling centers, Sailor said.

When detectives interviewed Beltran after the arrest, they determined he was responsible for a rash of copper thefts on the peninsula in less than two weeks, from June 16 to June 29, Sailor said. He generally stole from homes late at night or early in the morning, police said.

Police estimate he stole at least $3,500 worth of copper from Newport Beach homes, though he was charged with only the one theft. Beltran was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of supervised probation.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].