Indio man arrested for alleged metal theft from CVWD

An Indio man was arrested for allegedly stealing brass plumbing valves valued at more than $3,000 from two local water agencies, the California Highway Patrol reported Thursday.

Armando Villareal, 39, was booked at the Riverside County jail in Indio on suspicion of grand theft, possession of burglary tools and possession of drug paraphernalia. Villareal is accused of taking the valves from the Myoma Dunes Water District and Coachella Valley Water District.

He was arrested around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday when a CHP officer spotted him driving — sans headlights — on Country Club Drive, east of Adams Street, said CHP Officer Mike Radford. Villareal was stopped and the CHP officer who pulled him over found four brass plumbing valves and burglary tools used to remove them, Radford alleged.

Representatives from Myoma Dunes and CVWD estimated it would cost more than $3,000 to replace the four valves.