Hanford, CA – Rural residents across Kings and Fresno counties are seeing relief this week after deputies arrested a man accused of stealing large amounts of copper wire tied to recent vandalism at agricultural wells in the Huron area, officials said.
According to the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, investigators were alerted on October 21, 2025, to a person attempting to recycle a significant quantity of copper wire. Rural Crimes Unit detectives traced the vehicle involved back to a Huron resident and notified the Fresno County Sheriff’s Ag Unit. Deputies soon determined that several wells in the region had allegedly been stripped of copper wire over the prior two weeks.
Investigators from both counties shared information, leading officers to a Lemoore storage unit where the suspect, identified as Salvadore Silva Valdovinos, was allegedly operating. Deputies said Valdovinos was taken into custody on October 30 while unloading copper wire believed to have been stolen the previous night from Fresno County.
A search warrant for the storage unit and the vehicle Valdovinos was driving uncovered more than half a pound of methamphetamine, approximately 2,000 pounds of allegedly stolen copper wire, and various items linked to an agricultural burglary, according to authorities.
Deputies said Valdovinos was later booked into the Fresno County Jail on multiple narcotics and property-related charges. He is expected to be prosecuted in Fresno County.
The Kings County Rural Crimes Unit—made up of two deputies and an investigator from the district attorney’s office—said the arrest highlights ongoing efforts to protect agriculture operations from recurring thefts and vandalism. Officials credited strong collaboration with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Ag Team and CHP Central Division for the outcome.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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