David Ruble Arrested for Copper Theft in SLO

David Ruble, a 50-year-old man from San Luis Obispo, was arrested for grand theft after allegedly stealing around 40 copper downspouts valued at approximately $20,000 from the Irish Hills Shopping Center on July 10. Following the theft, police circulated surveillance images and sought public assistance, which led to Ruble being identified by two individuals. When contacted by Arroyo Grande police, Ruble was found in possession of six stolen downspouts, and further investigation revealed he had sold over 1,000 pounds of copper to a scrap yard in Santa Barbara County since July. He was arrested on August 13 and is currently held in San Luis Obispo County Jail with a bail set at $50,000. Authorities suspect there may be additional victims of similar thefts, and are urging anyone affected to come forward. Detective Hayden Warner can be reached at (805) 594-8042 for reports of copper theft.