State Police Arrest North Carolina Man for Theft of Copper Wire in Laurel

Date Posted: Friday, June 12th, 2026

Graphic titled “News Release Sussex County” featuring a Delaware State Police Chevrolet Tahoe parked with the World War II watch tower in the background at Cape Henlopen State Park. A silhouette map of Delaware appears on the left with Sussex County highlighted in blue, the text “BecomeATrooper.com” on the bottom center, and social media icons are shown at the bottom right corner.

The Delaware State Police have arrested 41-year-old Gerardo Carmona Hernandez of Shannon, North Carolina, for felony theft of copper wire from a solar field construction site in Laurel.

On June 8, 2026, at approximately 7:45 a.m., troopers responded to the 8000 block of Woodland Ferry Road in Laurel for a report of a theft. When troopers arrived, they learned that between June 4tth and June 8th, an unknown suspect stole nearly 2000 feet of copper wire valued at over $26,000. During the investigation, troopers learned that a man, later identified as Gerardo Carmona Hernandez, had scrapped copper wire on June 5th at Fitzgerald’s Salvage and Recycling in Lincoln, and had returned on June 8th to scrap more copper wire. When troopers responded to Fitzgerald’s, they identified the copper wire as the same that was stolen from the construction site. Hernandez had left Fitzgerald’s before troopers arrived, but when he returned, they saw him driving a Chevrolet Colorado. A computer check showed that Hernandez did not have a valid driver’s license and the truck was uninsured. He was taken into custody without incident.

Hernandez, who was an employee of the solar field construction company, was arrested and taken to Troop 5. He was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 3, and released on his own recognizance.

Gerardo Hernandez