MIDLAND, TX — A Midland man has been arrested after allegedly stealing copper wire from a ConocoPhillips facility and selling it at a local recycling center.
According to an affidavit, Pedro Guevara Galindo was caught on surveillance footage on August 28, pushing through the gates of a ConocoPhillips yard and loading copper wire into his Jeep.
Investigators with the Midland County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Oilfield Theft Task Force tracked Galindo by cross-referencing recent sales on Texas Online Metals. A match was found at PDQ Recycle in Odessa the day before the theft. Footage showed a man matching Galindo’s description — along with a woman — selling copper wire that matched the type stolen.
Deputies also linked Galindo’s vehicle to the area of the theft days earlier using license plate data.
When authorities arrived at Galindo’s Gardendale home on August 29, they reportedly found him stripping copper wire from his Jeep. The wire was consistent with the stolen material.
At first, Galindo claimed he received the wire from a friend, but later admitted to selling copper twice a week since being laid off. He said he was doing it “until he could return to work.”
Galindo was arrested for theft and is currently being held on a $25,000 bond, according to jail records.
