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Sheriff's deputy warns of night-time copper thefts; Frontier offers $15,000 reward
Summary
A Los Angeles County Sheriff deputy briefed the council on a surge of copper-theft incidents involving manhole/vault thefts, said late-night enforcement operations are planned, and relayed that Frontier is offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to convictions.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy briefed the La Puente City Council on an increase in copper-theft activity involving manhole and vault break-ins, and described planned enforcement operations during late-night hours.
Deputy Don Juan said suspects often arrive in white trucks or vans, sometimes wearing vests that make them appear official, remove manhole covers and send one person down to extract copper while others stand guard. He said Frontier Communications is offering a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the apprehension and conviction of persons committing copper theft, and that the department will distribute flyers and asked the city to post them so residents can be alert and report suspicious activity.
The fire captain said similar thefts in nearby areas had recently resulted in at least one fatality when suspects entered live electrical vaults and were electrocuted; he urged the city to support enforcement and community education. Fire Department Community Service Liaison Rosemary Vivero described upcoming CERT classes (dates provided) and offered to leave flyers and contact information for residents seeking preparedness training.
City staff asked that the reward and event flyers be posted on the city's social media and website. Council members acknowledged the safety risk and thanked deputies and fire staff for the outreach and materials.
