Police: Oceanside man arrested in connection to scrap metal burglaries

An Oceanside man was arrested Tuesday morning in connection to a series of burglaries he reportedly carried out at an Oceanside scrap metal recycling business, police said.

Police report that at around 2:56 a.m. officers from the 4th Precinct arrested Michael Pickering, 36, of Oceanside, as he reportedly stole assorted metal pipes, valued at roughly $200, from Cousins Metal Industry. Police said they had seen him loading the scraps from the Brown Court business into his truck when they stopped and arrested him.

Pickering had allegedly committed five previous burglaries at the business, beginning on Aug. 11. He has been charged with five counts of third-degree burglary, petit larceny, fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, third-degree criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.