St. Paul copper wire theft catch-and-release: Man arrested 6 times in past year
Minnesota became the first state to require a license for anyone buying or selling copper wire, starting Jan. 1. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A man was arrested for copper wire theft in St. Paul for the sixth time after briefly trying to run away from police.
Convicted St. Paul copper wire thief arrested again
Local perspective:
St. paul police say they responded to a report of a man stealing wire from streetlights along the 200 block of Cottage Avenue in St. Paul just before 8 a.m. on Nov. 1.
A responding officer reported seeing David Saw, 35, running north and hopping over fences. He later surrendered when a police vehicle approached, according to the criminal complaint.
Police confirmed that wires were removed from a streetlight in the area and found a black garbage bag with wires inside nearby.
Saw was then arrested, and the complaint states he refused to speak to investigators.
Past wire theft incidents
Timeline:
The complaint shows Saw was arrested fives times in the past year before his most recent arrest on Nov. 1.
On Aug. 9, 2025, police arrested Saw after a witness reported he was removing streetlight wire, and officers said he had two wire bundles and theft tools.
On Aug. 21, 2025, a witness reported seeing him removing streetlight wire, and police said he was arrested with a bag of wire and theft tools.
Court records show an April 10, 2026, streetlight tampering case, in which police said wire and theft tools were recovered from Saw's backpack.
Records also show a witness reported Saw was cutting streetlight wire on July 17, 2026, and police arrested him nearby, reportedly finding theft tools in his possession.
In another case, a witness reported Saw and two others removing streetlight wire near the 300 block of Cottage Ave. on Oct. 6, 2026. Police found wire and theft tools near where he was arrested, court records say.
The Source: This story uses information from a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County Court.