UKIAH, Calif. – A Ukiah man was arrested last week for allegedly breaking into Pacific Gas & Electric facilities.

James Porter, 32, was arrested for burglary on Nov. 5, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

Smallcomb said the burglaries Porter is alleged to have committed occurred on the mornings of Nov. 1 and Nov. 4 at PG&E offices and a storage facility on N. State Street in Ukiah.

Porter, along with possible additional suspects, is alleged to have cut fences and padlocks to get into the properties, removing large caches of copper wiring, along with numerous work tools from the location, Smallcomb said.

The approximate loss was in excess of $5,000, according to Smallcomb.

On Nov. 5 Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies received information that Porter attempted to sell the stolen property at a location in Willits. Smallcomb said Porter was subsequently arrested.

Deputies later learned where the stolen property was located, recovered it and released it back to PG&E, Smallcomb said.

Smallcomb said Porter admitted to both burglaries, as well as previous thefts he had conducted at the PG&E offices.

Porter was subsequently transported and booked into the Mendocino County Jail on the listed charge. His bail was set at $15,000. Smallcomb said Porter also was on probation at the time of the thefts.

The investigation is continuing into a possible second suspect who assisted Porter in the thefts, Smallcomb said.

Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .