TUSTIN — A suspected copper wire thief was struck and killed Monday running across the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway away from police in Tustin.
The 32-year-old Santa Ana man’s name was not immediately released because authorities have not yet notified all of his family members, California Highway Patrol Officer Anselmo Templado said.
Suspected copper thief hit, killed on 55 Freeway in Tustin https://t.co/MXZtg8GTWB
— KCAL News (@kcalnews) October 3, 2023
About 11:25 a.m., the suspect was stealing copper wire from a building “in broad daylight, throwing it to the ground” near First and Yorba streets, Tustin police Lt. Ryan Coe said.
The suspect was pushing a shopping cart of the cooper from the scene when officers were arriving, Coe said. Apparently when he saw the officers he “ditched the stolen property, jumped a side of fence to the side of the freeway,” Coe said.
While officers were setting up a perimeter to contain the suspect he decided to dart across the freeway and was struck by a car in the northbound lanes in the area of First and Fourth streets, Coe said.
Authorities had to block all lanes for about 30 minutes, Templado said. But as of 1:15 p.m., the three right lanes were open again, Templado said.
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