People v. Cascio CA2/8

FACTS

On June 10, 2011, at about 6:00 p.m., Pomona Police Officer Alan Pucciarelli was driving southbound in the center lane on the 71 Freeway when he noticed Cascio on the shoulder of the northbound side of the freeway by the railroad bridge near the Pomona Boulevard exit. Officer Pucciarelli looked over the center barrier and observed Cascio for three to four minutes while driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, at approximately 10 feet per minute. The northbound side was “wide open.” Cascio was bending over at the waist while holding a bar, prying at something on the ground. Officer Pucciarelli exited at Mission, made a u-turn and approached Cascio’s location. After more officers arrived at the scene, Officer Pucciarelli had Cascio put down the three-foot metal bar and placed him under arrest. Officer Pucciarelli then inspected the area where Cascio had been, and saw a Caltrans electrical box. The concrete top had been removed and there were approximately 12 inches of black wire pulled from it. The next box down was also damaged with a hole on the concrete cover and wires pulled out from it. Black electrical cables had been pulled approximately two to three feet out of the box; a…