Three Vallejo men were arrested after they were caught stealing a water heater from outside a home on Montclair Court on Monday.
Roberto Ponce, 34, Marilvz Medrano Ponce, 31, and Joel Valencia, 51, were initially spotted driving around in a box truck looking for scrap metal, according to police.
They were pulled over after a neighbor saw them and notified police. The owner of the stolen water heater identified the property and the three men were arrested. They have been charged with grand theft.
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Scrap metal thefts have increased in the past six months as metal prices--especially for platinum and copper-- have risen, according to police. In January, two copper signs at the entrance to the West Haven development were stolen, valued at more than $1000 each. Also in January, several big rigs parked on Bailey Avenue had their batteries stolen. Batteries are made out of copper and can fetch hundreds of dollars on the black market.
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