Suspect arrested in Caltrain copper wire theft in South San Francisco

By Tim Fang

Authorities on the Peninsula have arrested a man on probation on multiple charges after he allegedly stole copper wire from Caltrain tracks over the weekend.

According to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and volunteer pilots flying the sheriff’s office airplane were monitoring the tracks early Sunday. Authorities said they found a suspect actively removing cable from the tracks in South San Francisco.

In what deputies described as a “coordinated effort” which included help from South San Francisco police, deputies found the suspect and took him into custody. The suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Diego Sanchez-Palomares.

“The arrest highlights the effective use of technology and resources, including the Sheriff’s Office airplane, to detect crimes in progress,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

An investigation determined Sanchez-Palomares removed about 50 feet of cable from beneath the Caltrain tracks. Deputies also learned he was on probation.

Sanchez-Palomares was booked into the Maguire Correctional facility in Redwood City on multiple charges, including grand theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy, tampering with a railroad and trespassing at a railroad facility.

Deputies said the cable was recovered by deputies. The estimated repair cost is about $5,000.

According to jail records, Sanchez-Palomares remains in custody as of Monday.