July 5, 2025 – Imperial County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at approximately 7:52 A.M. (0752 hours), the Imperial County Sheriff's Office Communications Division was made aware of a subject trespassing at the Mesquite Lake Water and Power facility, located on Highway 111 in the unincorporated area of Imperial, California.

An eyewitness to the incident reported that there was a Hispanic male adult on the property who had stolen copper wire and placed it into a brown colored sedan. Deputies from the Imperial County Sheriff's Office responded to the area and contacted the eyewitness. The eyewitness stated that the Hispanic male adult took approximately $2,000 worth of copper from the property and left the area in a brown Toyota Prius, traveling southbound on Old Highway 111.

Deputies canvased the area for the brown Toyota Prius, which they located in the area of Robinson Road and Old Highway 111. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the brown Toyota Prius and contacted the driver, who was identified as Orly Romero, a 39-year-old from Brawley, California. Romero was detained and deputies continued their investigation.

Inside Romero's vehicle, deputies located copper wiring and burglary tools. The eyewitness ultimately identified Romero as the subject seen stealing copper wiring from the Mesquite Lake Water and Power facility. Romero was placed under arrest, transported and booked into the Imperial County Jail for charges of burglary and possession of burglary tools. Romero is currently being held without bail.

The Imperial County Sheriff's Office would like to encourage members of the public to continue to report any suspicious activity. When reporting suspicious activity, details such as clothing description, vehicle description, license plates and direction of travel are valuable information that assists responding deputies in their investigation.

Should you have any additional information related to this case or any other criminal activity, the Imperial County Sheriff's Office encourages you to contact them at, (442) 265-2021.

Source & photo: Imperial County Sheriff's Office