PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Police have arrested multiple suspects connected to a spike in copper wire thefts reported in Pine Bluff tracing back to early September 2023.
On September 22, 2023, Captain Jason Howard with the Pine Bluff Police Department received a call from a witness who stated that one white male and two Black males were in a field behind 1020 Linden Street allegedly burning copper wire.
Officers responded to the scene, where they witnessed a Black male coming from a wooded area. After detaining the suspect, later identified as Leroy Fitpatrick, officials investigated the wooded area and discovered a fire, a spool of copper wire, and several other empty spools.
AT&T employees were able to identify the intact spool as the copper wire that had been stolen the previous night, totaling $2,500 dollars. The empty spools were identified as stolen property from AT&T at 621 S. Oak Street, totaling $6,000 dollars.
Several other male suspects ran from officers at the scene, however, a K-9 was able to track one of the suspects to an apartment complex on Linden Street.
At this point in time, Pine Bluff detectives took over the investigation.
On January 1, 2024, an anonymous caller advised detectives that a male identified as John Cody Mayberry was seen cutting large amounts of AT&T wire in the area of West 8th Avenue.
Pine Bluff police were already familiar with Mayberry since he had been called in for questioning regarding a previous case that occurred near 11th Avenue and Railroad.
Officials began conducting regular nightly patrols in order to apprehend Mayberry and break up the ring of copper thieves targeting the area.
On January 9, 2024, while patrolling the area of 6th Avenue and Ash Street, officers witnessed a white male matching Mayberry's description at 1616 W. 6th Avenue. After standing by and conducting surveillance at the address, Mayberry later left the property in a vehicle.
Captain Howard developed probable cause to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle and attempted to do so at 6th Avenue and Ash Street, but the vehicle continued for several blocks before stopping.
After conducting a felony traffic stop, all occupants exited the vehicle and Mayberry was taken into custody for the copper thefts and questioning on a previous case.
As Pine Bluff police continue to build cases and apprehend suspects responsible for these copper thefts, anyone who sees unusual behavior in their neighborhood should call the detective office tip line at (870) 730-2106, the detective office at (870) 730-2090, or the dispatched center at (870) 541-5300.
