By Jay Meisel

Meisel@hometownnewsol.com

ST. LUCIE COUNTY - James Matula, owner of Matula Electric, began noticing that the pile of electrical wire containing copper on his property was getting smaller.

He dealt with the situation by installing a night vision surveillance camera that produced a clear photo of two men next to the pile on Nov. 6, according to St. Lucie County Sheriff's Department reports.

The photo helped St. Lucie County deputies nab two suspects this month, according to reports.

Sgt. Adam Goodner, head of the property crimes division of the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, said authorities have seen an increase in thefts of copper wire.

"The crimes are occurring more frequently because of the status of the economy," he said. "People are out of a job are looking for ways to feed their families or their drug habits or whatever."

In the Matula case, Sgt. Goodner said, the quality of the still photo from the surveillance camera was key to making the arrests in the theft of wire, valued at $5,000.

The chances of solving the crime without the photo would have been between "slim and none," he said.

Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers received two calls identifying Jimmy Mendoza, 23, homeless, as one of the suspects.

In addition, he said, a suspect in an unidentified case implicated Mr. Mendoza.

After being arrested, Mr. Mendoza implicated Charles Russell "Rusty" Crooks, 25, of 3515 Kirby Loop Road, Fort Pierce, as a participant.

Mr. Mendoza and Mr. Crooks were both charged with burglary of an occupied structure and third-degree grand theft. Mr. Mendoza also was charged with resisting an officer without violence.

He told deputies that before Nov. 6 he had accompanied Mr. Crooks, who denied any involvement in the thefts, to an area outside of a fence at Matula Electric to retrieve some copper wire.

Mr. Crooks told him he had previously stolen wire from Matula Electric and left it outside the fence for later retrieval.

He also told deputies Mr. Crooks gave him a map of the Matula property and told him to get into it.

On Nov. 6, an employee at Matula saw someone stealing the wire, but by the time deputies arrived, the man had left, a report said.

Sgt. Goodner said sometimes thieves will gradually steal the copper over a period of time from a large pile.

That way, he said, the owner might not immediately realize thefts were occurring.