Pasadena Officials Hope Mass Arrest in Copper Wire Thefts in LA Will Lead to Local Breakthrough

City officials are hopeful that an LAPD arrest of 80 people for copper wiring thefts will lead to a connection to a string of Pasadena incidents.

“No we were not [part of the investigative team] but doesn’t mean we may not find a connection with our incidents upon further investigation,” said Derderian.

According to an LA Times story published on Wednesday, the City’s copper wire task force arrested 82 people in an effort to combat the “growing epidemic” of copper wire thefts.

Questionable activity by recycling centers and other places that pay for the wire.

Two thousands pounds of copper wire were also recovered.

Copper wire thefts have plagued Pasadena. City officials have announced a $10,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the suspects.

On July 24, Pasadena Now reported, approximately 90 feet of copper wire and cables were cut and stolen from two pull boxes near the bridge in the 700 block of  West Holly Street, according to Pasadena Police Lieutenant Matt Campeau.

Officers were dispatched to the location to investigate the reported copper wire theft after receiving the 1:35 p.m. Thursday call, said Campeau.

The stolen wire was valued at over $540, police said.

Two weeks earlier, 900 feet of copper wire worth thousands of dollars was stolen from five City street lights near the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Mountain Street.

At a press conference in January, the City said that 30 incidents over three months resulted in the theft of five miles of wire and the damage of 280 city lights.

Those people who are involved in this crime need to know that, with any associated crimes, we will stack those charges against you, and we will come after you to the full extent of the law.”

Former Public Works Director Tony Olmos said at that time the number of copper thefts had increased with 45 separate incidents since January of 2023, with 33 of those incidents occurring since November. Olmos added that 360 street lights had been affected and two traffic signals have been affected, at a total cost of $50,000 so far in the past year.