Three individuals were arrested after allegedly stealing approximately $10,000 worth of copper cable and leading Garland Police Department officers in a vehicle pursuit.
On Aug. 7 at approximately 6 p.m., the Garland Police Department received a report of a theft in progress near Belt Line Road and Wagon Wheel. The caller reported a U-Haul truck blocking a lane of traffic, with individuals actively stealing copper cable and loading it into the truck.
Upon arrival, officers observed one suspect loading the copper cable into the U-Haul, while another suspect walked away from the scene. As officers attempted to detain the suspects and investigate, the U-Haul driver fled, initiating a pursuit.
The pursuit ended shortly thereafter, resulting in the arrest of the driver, identified as 27-year-old Izely Guadalupe Guerrero Rodriguez, a resident of Rockwall. Meanwhile, officers returned to the scene and located the second suspect, 41-year-old Jerome Wayne Perkins, a resident of Monroe, Louisiana, inside a nearby convenience store.
The third suspect was not immediately located but identified as 37-year-old Richard Wayne Schultz. Schultz was located in Dallas on the afternoon of Aug. 8 and was arrested.
The investigation revealed that the suspects may have used a saw, recovered from the U-Haul, to cut the copper cable from a utility pole. Additionally, officers found narcotics in the possession of Guerrero and Perkins. Perkins was also found to be in possession of a firearm.
All three subjects were booked into the Garland Detention Center and face the following charges:
- Izely Guadalupe Guerrero Rodriguez: Evading Arrest or Detention – Vehicle; Theft-Material Alum/Bronze/Copper/Brass Less Than $20,000; Possession of Fentanyl.
- Jerome Wayne Perkins: Evading Arrest or Detention; Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon with a Felony Conviction; Theft-Material Alum/Bronze/Copper/Brass Less Than $20,000; Possession of Methamphetamine.
- Richard Wayne Schultz: Evading Arrest; Theft-Material Alum/Bronze/Copper/Brass Less Than $20,000.
This investigation is ongoing.
The Garland Police Department would like to thank the citizens who reported the suspicious activity. Their action led to the apprehension of these individuals.
Schultz’s mugshot is not currently available.