On August 7, 2024, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Garland Police responded to a report of theft in progress near Belt Line Road and Wagon Wheel. The caller reported a U-Haul truck blocking a traffic lane, with individuals actively stealing copper cable and loading it into the truck.
Upon arrival, officers saw one suspect loading the copper cable into the U-Haul, while another suspect walked away. As officers attempted to detain the suspects, the U-Haul driver fled, initiating a vehicle pursuit.
The pursuit ended shortly, resulting in the arrest of the driver, 27-year-old Izely Guadalupe Guerrero Rodriguez of Rockwall. Officers later found the second suspect, 41-year-old Jerome Wayne Perkins of Monroe, LA, inside a nearby convenience store. The third suspect, 37-year-old Richard Wayne Schultz, was located and arrested in Dallas on August 8.
The investigation revealed that the suspects likely used a saw, recovered from the U-Haul, to cut the copper cable from a utility pole. Officers also found narcotics in the possession of Guerrero and Perkins, and Perkins was additionally found with a firearm.
The three suspects have been booked into the Garland Detention Center with the following charges:
- Izely Guadalupe Guerrero Rodriguez: Evading Arrest or Detention – Vehicle; Theft-Material Alum/Bronze/Copper/Brass Less Than $20,000; Possession of Fentanyl.
- Jerome Wayne Perkins: Evading Arrest or Detention; Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon with a Felony Conviction; Theft-Material Alum/Bronze/Copper/Brass Less Than $20,000; Possession of Methamphetamine.
- Richard Wayne Schultz: Evading Arrest; Theft-Material Alum/Bronze/Copper/Brass Less Than $20,000.
The investigation is ongoing. Garland Police thanked the citizens who reported the suspicious activity, aiding in the suspects' apprehension.
No mugshot is currently available for Schultz.
