Trio arrested after copper heist at hospital site

Santa Rosa police on Friday arrested three men on suspicion of stealing copper wire at the former Sutter Hospital site.

Police said they have received several reports of burglary, vandalism and theft at the hospital site at 3325 Chanate Road in Santa Rosa.

The thefts included thousands of dollars of copper electrical wiring from the main hospital building and an onsite power station that still powers several buildings occupied by Sonoma County workers, police said.

Police were alerted around 7 a.m. Friday to a suspicious vehicle that had been seen in the area before. Police found the vehicle and arrested the driver, Michael Vernon Hayes, 50, of Santa Rosa.

Police also located and arrested Perry Winston Garrison, 53, and Mark Richard Castillo, 58, both of Santa Rosa, near the power substation. Both men were allegedly working in concert with Hayes, police said.

Police said they found approximately 2,000 feet of copper electrical wiring and several tools used for cutting and removing the wire in Hayes’ vehicle. The wire was stolen from inside the main hospital building and the cost to replace it is over $3,600, police said.

The three men were booked in the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of burglary, vandalism, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.

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