Saw David

On 04/10/2026 at about 0044 hours, St. Paul Police were dispatched to Jessamine Ave E in St. Paul, Ramsey County on a report that wires were being stolen from lightpoles near Jessamine and Sylvan. The theft of wiring from city light poles has been a prolific problem. The city has spent millions of dollars repairing and replacing light poles and their wiring. In addition to the cost of repair, the removal of wiring renders light poles useless which is also a safety concern due to absent lighting in dim/dark areas at night making driving and walking hazardous.

Upon arrival, police spotted Saw DAVID (AKA David SAW) [DOB REDACTED] in front of [ADDRESS REDACTED] E. DAVID was the only person visible, matched the description of the suspect, and had a long metal object sticking out of his right pants pocket. When asked to identify himself, DAVID initially provided the officer “Saw David Saw [DOB REDACTED].” This identity was not on file. After being Mirandized, DAVID continued to obfuscate his identity, but DAVID was eventually identified through IBIS. The Complainant, ARF, said she saw a male trying to remove copper wire from a streetlight near her residence.

The complainant provided police video footage showing DAVID opening the cover of the streetlight and tampering with the light pole. During a search of DAVID’s backpack, police found multiple wires and a singular wire containing copper. They also found tools commonly used for wire theft, including a flashlight, pry bar, and several saw blades. The singular copper wire in DAVID's possession was compared to the wires from a nearby light post, and they matched. When asked about the wires in his backpack, DAVID said he obtained them from an oven earlier on in the day.

DAVID was arrested. During a search incident to arrest, police found multiple wire cutting tools on his person and in his backpack. In a small green bag police found a small container with a white substance inside. The substance later field-tested positive for fentanyl with a net weight of.08 grams. When police inspected the streetlight, they saw that the cover at the base was open with a wire protruding from it. They also saw a cut red wire lying on the ground next to the streetlight. The cost to repair the damage DAVID caused exceeded $1,000. For purposes of Rule 6.