DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Residents say copper thieves are disappearing from the Downtown Los Angeles area.
When the sun goes down, several blocks of Bixel Street are plunged into darkness, and residents suspect thieves are stealing copper wire from the streetlights.
“I’ve noticed for the past few months that there are no street lights. It makes the neighborhood a little scary and suspicious,” resident Roman Lopez said.
Marcial Lopez said he called the city multiple times to get his lights fixed, but every time he called, nothing was done.
Roman and Martial say crime is a problem in the area, especially at night, and residents are afraid to leave their homes in the dark.
“It’s scary just walking down the street to the liquor store or supermarket to get groceries and other necessities,” Roman said.
“You never know who’s going to attack you,” he added.
Los Angeles Police told Eyewitness News that while copper theft remains a problem throughout the city, they have not received any reports of copper being stolen from streetlights along Bichsell Boulevard.
Residents said that copper has been stolen from nearly half a dozen EV stations on the road, rendering them unusable. At EV stations in the area, cables were seen cut to expose the wires. If you look closely inside the cut cables, copper is clearly visible.
Eyewitness News has reached out to city officials but has not yet heard back.
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