A man was arrested in a homeless encampment north of Fernley on Aug. 1 and charged with
stealing from a nearby job site, according to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.
Donald Ray Ford was arrested on multiple charges after deputies responded to a report of
suspicious circumstances. The reporting party said homeless people were starting unattended
fires, using their company forklift, and that items were missing from their job site for a second
time.
Deputies were dispatched at 7:32 a.m. and responded, along with firefighters from North Lyon
Fire to a location approximately two miles north of 480 Truck Inn Way along the pole line. They
found an unattended fire about 1.8 miles off the road, which firefighters quickly extinguished.
The deputies entered a homeless encampment to ask who started the fire. As they entered the
camp, they reported finding a box of what appeared to be brand-new copper conduits
approximately 10 yards from a motor home, as well as a tan bag with tools inside that had a
picture of a lineman on the outside of the bag.
They also found a hand-washing station, similar to job site rentals, in the middle of the camp.
Deputies identified the camp as belonging to Donald Ford. Another unattended fire was burning
less than 20 yards from the motor home they said belonged to Ford.
A witness told the deputies the copper pieces they saw were solid yellow brass, not copper, and
worth about $50 each. The deputies also found two forklift batteries, similar to ones reported
missing in June, with the copper stripped out of the cables. They also found drug paraphernalia
and a rifle next to the door of the motor home.
The deputies obtained a search warrant and found Ford hiding in the rear of the motor home.
Ford was arrested on charges of possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit arson, grand
larceny, being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, being a habitual criminal, disposing of
garbage or sewage, failing to register as an ex-felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting a
public officer, and destroying or concealing evidence. His bail was set at $316,440.
Comment
Comments