Transient Accused Of Stealing More Than A Dozen Backflow Devices In Redlands: Police

REDLANDS, CA — A 41-year-old transient was arrested on suspicion of grand theft after police recovered stolen water backflow devices and burglary tools from his vehicle, police said.

Enrique Luis Ibarra was arrested Friday, Oct. 16, after a city Water Division employee spotted his vehicle and called police, according to the Redlands Police Department.

The employee directed officers to the vehicle while following it. Officers conducted a traffic stop and found burglary tools, stolen backflow devices and additional parts inside, police said.

More than a dozen city-owned backflow devices had been removed from properties throughout Redlands, mostly commercial locations, police said.

Backflow devices are installed in water lines to prevent contaminated water from flowing backward into the clean drinking water supply when system pressure drops. The devices contain high-grade metals that can be sold for scrap, making them targets for theft.

City employees used serial numbers to identify several of the recovered devices as having been stolen from local properties, police said.

Investigators are contacting neighboring law enforcement agencies to determine whether additional devices were stolen from surrounding communities, police said.

No additional information was immediately available.