CLOVIS, Calif. (KMPH) -
A traffic stop turned out to be much more in Clovis.
The driver of an RV is behind bars - because of what police found inside.
The arrest is a small victory for a couple of local construction companies, that have been hit by thieves in recent days.
"We do what we can to protect it. It's a chess game, you know. They make a move, we make a move," said Chuck King, a foreman with Howe's Electric, one Valley company that's been burglarized.
At the construction site near Herndon and Sunnyside, King says up to $40,000 of equipment has been stolen so far.
"It's terrible, you show up at a job site and you see your doors are open, I mean, your heart sinks," said King.
Clovis police believe they caught one culprit connected to the construction site thefts.
25-year-old Christopher Ramage was driving an RV in Clovis, when an officer pulled him over because his tags were expired.
Turns out, he was driving around stolen items picked up from construction sites and copper wire.
"We're looking at $3,000-$5,000 worth of materials, mostly tools, lighting fixtures, that kind of thing," said Janet Stoll-Lee with the Clovis Police Department.
The construction site at Clovis Community Medical Center has also been hit.
Equipment stolen Wednesday morning from a mobile office at the site was found in the RV.
Most of the found items belonged to Giroux Glass and have been returned.
King recently installed alarms on his storage containers - his latest move against thieves.
He doesn't expect to get back any of the expensive tools stolen from his sites.
Ramage was arrested on suspicion of having stolen property and driving with a suspended license.
