Austin Copper Cable Theft Suspect Arrested, Police Seek Second Man

AUSTIN, Texas – Austin police have arrested one man and are searching for a second in a series of copper cable thefts in Northeast Austin. The Austin Police Department’s Commercial Burglary & Metal detectives want help finding 52-year-old Clifford Nelson Locklin, who they believe lives in Bastrop.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant in October charging Locklin with Theft of Material – Copper, a state jail felony. He remains outstanding, police said.

Police arrested 37-year-old Adam Ray Lawrence on the same charge. Detectives obtained his warrant in September, and he was booked into the Travis County Jail in October.

How the investigation unfolded

Detectives began investigating in August 2026. They said two suspects tried several times to steal heavy-gauge copper communication cables from wooden telephone poles. The suspects used vehicles to pull the poles down and then took the cables.

Detectives learned that a white van tied to the thefts had been seen trying to sell copper at a nearby metal recycling business. Members of the Property Crimes Task Force found the van and stopped it. The driver was Locklin, police said.

During the investigation, Locklin named Lawrence as the owner of a Dodge Ram truck that detectives believed was involved.

Detectives determined Lawrence used the truck to sell more than 600 pounds of copper several days after one of the thefts. The investigation also confirmed that the stolen material was proprietary copper communication cable belonging to AT&T.

How to help

Anyone with information about Locklin’s whereabouts can contact the Commercial Burglary & Metal Unit at APDCommercialBurglary@austintexas.gov or (512) 974-6941.

Tips can also go anonymously to Capital Area Crime Stoppers at austincrimestoppers.org or 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to an arrest.

Arrests and charges are accusations. Both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.