San Luis Obispo man arrested for grand theft of copper downspouts

SAN LUIS OBISPO, California — A local man has been arrested in connection with the theft of copper downspouts valued at $20,000 from the Irish Hills Shopping Center, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.David Ruble, a 50-year-old resident, was apprehended on August 13, 2024, after an investigation revealed he had sold over 1,000 pounds of copper downspouts and insulated copper wiring to a scrap yard in Santa Barbara County since July. The theft was initially reported on July 15, 2024, when approximately 40 copper downspouts were stolen from the shopping center.Photographs of the man were circulated on social media, leading to Ruble being identified by two individuals who recognized him from the San Luis Obispo Police Department's Facebook posting. Several weeks later, the Arroyo Grande Police Department contacted Ruble and found him in possession of six of the stolen downspouts.Ruble was arrested for grand theft under California Penal Code 487(a) and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail without incident. Authorities believe there may be additional unreported victims due to the volume of copper Ruble has sold in recent months.Anyone who has been a victim of copper downspout or insulated copper wiring theft is urged to contact Detective Hayden Warner at (805) 594-8042 or via email at hwarner@slocity.org .