Four Men Arrested, Accused Of Stealing 2,000 Pound Of Copper

The sheriff’s department announced today the arrests of four men on suspicion of stealing more than 2,000 pounds of copper from vacant buildings in Coachella.

Jimmie Bass, 48, Gilbert Ochoa, 45, Rodney Miller, 51, and George Harsch, 49, all of Coachella, were arrested over the past two weeks, said Sgt. Mike Tapp of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The men were identified as suspects after some of the stolen copper was recovered from a vacant building in Indio, the sergeant said.

The thefts, which totaled more than $5,000, occurred between April 16 and May 24, Tapp said.