A man was arrested Thursday in Vallejo in connection with a series of bronze plaque thefts in Solano County that law enforcement described as a “cowardly and disgraceful crime.”
The 40-year-old Vallejo resident was arrested at his home on the 200 block of Howard Avenue after police conducted a search warrant and found items related to the theft of memorial plaques, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. Authorities have not determined the man’s charges.
A day before the suspect was arrested, Solano County Sheriff Brad DeWall posted on the department’s Facbook about his “outrage and deep concern” after discovering that bronze stars and plaques had been stolen from the Peace Officer Memorial in Fairfield. The memorial honors 21 officers who died in the line of duty.
In the post, DeWall said that bronze plaques on the courthouse and other county and buildings were also stolen and that the Veterans Memorial had been vandalized. The sheriff’s office did not respond to SFGATE’s request for additional information.
“Let me be clear: this was not simple theft, and not random vandalism. These were deliberate, calculated acts at places of honor, remembrance, and public service,” DeWall wrote in the post. “This was an attack on the memory of fallen peace officers, veterans, and the families who carry their legacy. It was an attack on the community and the values we stand for—honor, sacrifice, respect, and decency.”
Video footage of the memorial on the Facebook post shows the empty plaque spaces in the shape of a sheriff’s badge and several other square plaques that are missing. The department was also just weeks away from its Peace Officer Memorial ceremony when the theft happened, DeWall added.
Bronze theft is a growing problem across the Bay Area, with several other incidents in recent years. According to Okon Recycling, the valuable metal is worth approximately $2.30 to $2.80 per pound.
Last year, thieves in San Jose were caught on surveillance cameras cutting down and stealing a bronze statue in broad daylight. And in Oakland, nearly half of the historic metals valued at $150,000 on the city’s blues Walk of Fame were stolen out of the ground.
Bronze isn’t as valuable as copper, which has also been stolen frequently in many parts of the Bay Area and California. Just last week, internet service was knocked out for residents in Oakland after thieves targeted the copper cables used for telecommunications. As of Friday afternoon, copper is worth $5.96.
