If you’ve ever been shocked by the price of a replacement RV power cord, imagine losing 40 of them. That’s what ET Quality RV in Yuba City, California, has been dealing with after a cable thief made off with thousands of dollars’ worth of cords and equipment over the past few months.
Surveillance cameras caught the suspect sneaking into the lot and swiping cords, which usually run $150–$300 apiece. “That’s a big hit for a family-run business like ours,” said Melina Rochin, general manager at ET Quality RV. “It affects not only us, but also the families we serve.”
Stolen RV shore power cords, burnt and copper sold
According to Rochin, the thief yanked the shore power cords right off the RVs and stripped them for copper. In all, about 40 cords vanished. For anyone who’s ever had to wrestle a heavy 50-amp snake into place, that’s not just theft—it’s practically sabotage.
Detective Vishaal Virk with the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said good old-fashioned sleuthing led them to 45-year-old Peter Pato. “He was surprised when we showed up to his tent and he was actively burning copper wire,” Virk said.
Deputies arrested Pato at his riverside camp, where they also discovered cords linked to another case involving an area church. While the church got its cables back, ET Quality RV wasn’t so lucky—everything had already been stripped and sold.
Still, Rochin said she’s relieved that the suspect is off the streets. “The more that these concerns are raised and actually followed through with, the stronger we can become as a community,” she said.
As for Pato, he now faces a laundry list of charges including burglary, theft, and drug-related offenses. One thing’s for sure: He won’t be plugging in at any campground hookups anytime soon.
Sources include: KCRA 3
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RVT1229b
And this is why our “justice” system needs to be tougher on crime…
Good grief, what else? Now in Fargo, ND cat. converter thefts are back in the news! If it isn’t one thing it’s another with a new twist and something you wouldn’t think about! Sadly, we need camera’s everywhere and with high resolution too and microphones too wouldn’t hurt!
I tho’t there was a law or maybe local ordinance requiring cat. sales to be reported if not being sold by a legitimate dealer.? If there isn’t – there should be!
Peter Pato, an unhoused man, AKA homeless man and obvious drug addict, was arrested for theft, theft with pliers, narcotics possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Welcome to California.
Unhoused aka Hobo aka vagrant.
Not just California though. Sadly, it’s happening all across the USA..
Indeed Bill, that was a bit gratuitous on my part. It is a nationwide problem so I definitely should not have pigeon-holed Cali on this comment. I guess the narcotics dynamic, knowing that he is ‘most likely’ a catch and release criminal, it just felt a bit extra on the California dreaming spectrum but here in Nevada, they hook the wires from the street lamps and power poles up to the car/p.u. bumper hitch and just rip it out. Just nuts. Crazy.
Happy trails ✌️
It’s partly why we’re starting to look elsewhere for somewhere to possibly move to..🤔 ☹️
Hi Bill: I lived (3 yrs) in Van Nuys and San Fernando back in the mid-late 50’s. It was a “fun” change from growing up Mn-ND to see how the left coast lives. I loved it so much I moved to Anchorage, AK – to never return to Calif.. My sister and BIL and 3 kids moved to Tustin in the 60’s coming from here and Phoenix. They are still in Calif and wouldn’t think of leaving – I think mostly because of Prop. 13 and their home and his retirement – which is taxed by Calif. no matter where he goes. Too much traffic and all that goes with population for me!
That’s why it’s also so hard to decide whether to leave here or not. My family’s been in the San Diego area for over a hundred years too.
Wow! They need to make street lites and power poles smaller and lighter to fall on them when they pull away!
Pato will be out on no cash bail shortly!
People are moving from CA, OR, and WA to the small town with very low crime where I live. Problem we have is West coast residents are moving from the West coast to get away from what’s happening in those States but they don’t leave their politics in those States.
Russ and Tina, I really enjoyed the last line of your article. It made me smile. Thanks!
Yikes! Copper theft has gone up with copper prices. Please lock your RV shore power compartments, when not in use. Dealerships included.
Any deportation orders for Pato?
Replacement cords … Home Depot or Lowes, purchase the proper amperage “extension cord”, cut off the female end … and you have a new cord. I replaced mine with a 30-foot cord rather than the standard 25-foot found in most RV’s of my vintage.
“Rochin said she’s relieved that the suspect is off the streets”.
Oh, that’s cute. In most places these days, he’s back on the street before you had time to file an insurance claim.
…times are ahchanging these days!
Thank you for the news and inherent warning, Russ and Tina! Glad that he was caught. Hope there won’t be copy-cats elsewhere. Have a great day and safe travels!