Copper Wire Thefts Continue in Pasadena, 576 Feet Stolen Saturday

Nearly 600 feet of copper wire was stolen from streetlight pull boxes in Pasadena on Saturday, the latest in a series of similar thefts across the city, police reported.

The most recent theft occurred near Colorado Boulevard and San Rafael Avenue, where approximately 576 feet of copper wire was taken from three streetlight pull boxes, according to Pasadena Police Lieutenant Matt Campeau. The incident was reported at 6:24 a.m. on Saturday, May 10.

“Investigating officers discovered that three pull boxes had been tampered with and that the stolen wiring had left three streetlights affected,” Campeau said.

The estimated value of the losses was not immediately available.

No witnesses or surveillance footage was found at the time of the report.

Saturday’s theft came just four days after multiple copper wire theft incidents were reported across Pasadena on Tuesday, May 6.

The first of Tuesday’s incidents occurred at Pasadena Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard, where officers responded to a Public Works Department report of stolen copper wire. Upon inspection, about 240 feet of copper wire was discovered missing after electrical boxes were found open, affecting three streetlight posts, said Lieutenant Anthony Russo.

At Fair Oaks Avenue and Montana Street, three electrical boxes had been opened, but no wires were cut or removed. Additional boxes in the 1900 block of North Fair Oaks had also been tampered with, but no copper wire was taken. These incidents are being investigated as acts of vandalism, according to Russo.

Another theft was reported at 11:18 a.m. at Montana Street and Glenn Avenue. A Public Works employee found four electrical boxes opened with approximately 45 feet of copper wire stolen, affecting four city light posts.

No additional information was available regarding suspects or surveillance evidence.

Lisa Derderian, City Public Information Officer, expressed concern about the safety risks posed by the thefts.

“Although only a small amount of copper wire was taken [on Tuesday, May 6], the bigger concern is the suspect(s) left a lot of pull boxes opened and cut wires leaving them energized which poses a significant safety risk,” Derderian said.

The recent incidents add to an ongoing problem. In early 2024, the city experienced 34 incidents of copper theft totaling five miles of wire and 280 damaged city lights.

The Pasadena Police Department is asking for the public to remain vigilant and report any information regarding possible suspects, suspect vehicles, or surveillance video that could assist in identifying the thieves.

Anyone with information about copper wire theft cases is encouraged to call the Pasadena Police at (626)-744-4241 or report information anonymously by contacting “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), via your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.