Robert Cox
On 12/01/2019, Sunday, at around 2PM, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office received calls from citizens that a silver Dodge Ram was in the area of Black Ranch Road near Vedder Road in Burney pulling a long length of copper cable. The reporting parties stated it appeared the subjects were attempting to strip the protective coating from the large gauge wire. Two Caucasian males were seen traveling in the silver pickup truck heading towards State Route 299E.
Deputies from the Burney Sheriff Substation were in the area within minutes looking for the vehicle. Deputies were able to track evidence from the vehicle from Covanta which was once an operational energy plant and has since shut down. Deputies discovered the plant had been burglarized and saw wire which had been tampered with. Deputies continued to follow evidence in the snow which led them to a residence located at the 38000 block of State Route 299E in Johnson Park, California where they located the suspect silver Dodge Ram vehicle. The truck still had wire attached to the chassis of the vehicle.
Deputies then made contact with both suspects in this incident. Suspect #1 was Robert Dale Cox Jr. (age 50). Suspect #2 was Robert Paul Milner (age 50). Both suspects were detained and found to have both felony and misdemeanor warrants. During the investigation, approximately 500 pounds of copper wire was located in the garage of the residence. Both Cox and Milner were not cooperative in the investigation and were booked on their warrants. Both subjects will be charged with burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft.
Robert Milner
