Baton Rouge - Seven family members tied to $215K copper theft ring

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BATON ROUGE — Several members of the same family are accused of carrying out a series of burglaries targeting local businesses, stealing more than $50,000 worth of television monitors and electronics and more than $165,000 worth of copper wire, according to Baton Rouge Police.

Investigators say the thefts occurred in late December 2025 and January 2026 and involved relatives who coordinated trips to multiple businesses, used shared vehicles, and, in some cases, recruited family members to help carry out the burglaries.

Police say those family ties helped detectives connect suspects to thefts reported across several locations in the city. Five people have been arrested so far.

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According to a warrant, seven people arrived at SAIA Electric in multiple vehicles and allegedly cut the lock on an eight-foot metal fence surrounding the business’s storage yard. Investigators say the group returned several times that night and again the following day in different vehicles, stealing about $50,000 worth of conference room television monitors and other electrical equipment.

Surveillance video shows a black Ford Expedition arriving ath the business around 9 p.m. on Dec. 19. Four men were seen walking to the fence with bolt cutters and cutting the lock on the gate, according to the warrant.

The suspects then went to a building in the rear of the property, cut another lock, and began removing TV monitors and other electrical equipment, investigators said.

The black Ford Expedition, which had front-end damage and bungee cords securing the hood, and a white Ford F-150 returned to the site multiple times. Each time, people exited the vehicles and removed items from the building, according to the warrant.

Because the Expedition was described as “recognizable,” the investigating officer shared photos of the vehicle with patrol officers to help identify its owner or occupants.

On Dec. 22, a patrol officer recognized the Expedition from a traffic stop conducted in late November. According to the warrant, the officer identified the owner as Morlena Sanders, along with two of her adult sons who were present during the stop, Ammony Sanders and Adrian Grant.

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While the SAIA investigation was ongoing, BRPD responded to a reported copper theft at Southern Recycling. Surveillance video showed four people on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, using forklifts to gather scrap copper. The suspects wore masks and gloves to conceal their identities, police said.

Officials reported that about $52,000 worth of copper was stolen.

On Jan. 16, BRPD began investigating another copper burglary at Newtron Group. During that theft, two welding machines valued at about $3,000 each, a spool containing approximately 8,000 feet of copper, and several other copper spools were stolen. The total value of the stolen items and property damage was estimated at about $65,000, according to an affidavit.

Investigators identified a black Ford Expedition with front-end damage and a silver Chevrolet Silverado as vehicles allegedly used in the burglary.

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