Repeat St. Paul copper thief arrested seventh time
St. Paul police arrested 35-year-old David Saw on Sunday, Nov. 1, near the 200 block of Cottage Avenue after a report of streetlight copper theft, marking at least his seventh such arrest in about a year.[1]
Officers said they found tools commonly used to strip and steal wire on Saw and recovered a bag of insulated copper nearby, and he is now charged under a new Ramsey County criminal complaint that highlights his repeat arrests.[1]
Court records cited in the complaint show Saw has been arrested in connection with streetlight wire theft at least seven times since August 2025, including incidents on Aug. 9 and 21, 2025, April 10, 2026, July 17, 2026, Oct. 6, 2026, and again on Nov. 1, 2026.[1] Prosecutors also point to multiple Ramsey County convictions tied to similar thefts, with separate sentencing dates still pending, which has allowed him to remain free between cases even as the city struggles with repeated vandalism of its lighting system.[1]
Police and city officials have spent the past year grappling with a wave of copper thefts from St. Paul streetlights and infrastructure, which can leave blocks in the dark, create safety hazards, and cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in repair bills each time lines are cut.[1] Investigators say Saw's arrests, frequently in areas where fresh damage is found and wire is missing, have made him a symbol of what they describe as a catch-and-release cycle in which suspects are quickly back on the street even after multiple cases.[1]
State lawmakers and law enforcement have increasingly blamed a thriving scrap market for fueling the thefts, arguing that the ease of reselling stolen wire makes repeated arrests less of a deterrent.[1] In response, Minnesota is set to become the first state to require a license for anyone buying or selling copper wire starting Jan. 1, a new law officials hope will make it harder to fence stolen material and will complement local efforts to more aggressively prosecute repeat offenders like Saw.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Nov. 1, 2026, St. Paul police arrested 35-year-old David Saw near the 200 block of Cottage Avenue after a report of streetlight copper theft; officers recovered theft tools on him and a bag of insulated wire nearby.
- A new Ramsey County criminal complaint and court records show Saw has been arrested at least seven times for streetlight wire theft in roughly the past year, with incidents documented on Aug. 9 and 21, 2025, April 10, 2026, July 17, 2026, Oct. 6, 2026, and Nov. 1, 2026.
- Saw has multiple Ramsey County convictions tied to streetlight wire theft with separate sentencing dates still pending, underscoring a pattern where he remains free despite repeated arrests.
- Minnesota is becoming the first state to require a license for anyone buying or selling copper wire starting Jan. 1, in an effort to clamp down on the resale market that fuels such thefts.
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