Three Anadarko employees checking on a compressor station in the area south of Ouray on Friday surprised a man inside the fenced station near to two large spools of copper.

The intruder, identified as Sterling Curtis, 30, of East Carbon, ran from the employees and attempted to hide, sheriff’s deputies said.

A short time later, the employees located him hiding in a ditch where he was confronted about possibly stealing copper wire. Once again, Curtis ran attempting to flee the area, deputies said..

Uintah County Sheriff’s deputies were contacted and responded to the compressor station and began a search for the individual.

Located by one of the deputies, Curtis again ran despite being ordered to stop, according to sheriff’s department spokesperson Dustin Cheshire.

The deputy was able to track the suspect through the area and a short time later took Curtis into custody.

Cheshire said deputies also found the tools that Curtis used in an attempt to steal the copper wire and tried to hide it from the deputies.

Curtis was transported to the Uintah County Jail and charged with failure to stop at the command of a law enforcement officer and theft.

Uintah County Sheriff Jeff Merrell commends the Anadarko employees involved in this case whose actions made it possible for a quick arrest.

“The fast actions of the three employees by contacting law enforcement were key to the capture of the suspect,” Merrell said. “The suspect was not from the area and it would be likely that the metal would have been sold outside the Vernal area.”

The sheriff’s office has seen a large increase in copper thefts in the oilfield and has boosted patrols in southern Uintah County to hopefully deter would-be thieves, he said.

Merrell asks that anyone who witnesses anything suspicious or knows of illegal activity to please contact law enforcement to help make Uintah County a better place to live.

—Mary Bernard,

Vernal Express