GARLAND — Copper thefts are occurring throughout North Texas.

A suspected thief, who police say was disguised as a utility worker, was arrested in Garland.

Garland City Councilwoman Carissa Dutton said this would not have been possible without the help of a Good Samaritan.

Last Friday around 8 p.m., a local resident noticed a man hanging around near one of the city’s water towers on Lawler Road and called Dutton.

“She said, ‘He’s wearing a construction vest and a hard hat, but he’s smoking a cigarette and I don’t see a work truck,'” Dutton said. “As she continued walking, she noticed the fence had been cut.”

The woman sent Dutton a photo of a black duffel bag he was carrying.

“Then there was this moment when it dawned on me: ‘Oh, he’s stealing copper,'” she said. “I thought to myself, ‘Hang up right now and call 911.'”

Moments later, Garland police arrived.

“He was still in the building he went into,” Officer Matt Pesta said.

Hung Phan, 53, was arrested for burglary and trespassing.

“According to the suspect, it was just a place where he thought he could find some copper,” Pesta said.

Pesta said it turned out there was no copper at the site and the water tower was never the target.

“It was a coincidence that it was at a water tower,” he said. “As far as water tower safety goes, there are multiple systems in place.”

Dutton said she was grateful that the Good Samaritan noticed her surroundings and acted quickly.

“This is something that is costing cities, residents and utilities a lot of money right now,” she said. “So if you see something that you don’t like or you think something is wrong, please let us know.”

“We always try to preach, ‘If you see something, say something,'” Pesta said.

This recent arrest is a prime example of what a single person can do.