Copper thieves have been slicing through rural Sonoma County, cutting down power lines and stealing wiring from AT&T-owned utility poles in a crime spree that has left residents without phone and internet service for as long as two weeks.
According to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, deputies began documenting widespread copper wire thefts in February across Sebastopol, Graton, Forestville, Petaluma, and other rural areas, triggering major service disruptions for nearby communities.
The Press Democrat reported receiving multiple calls from frustrated residents dealing with prolonged outages, some of whom said AT&T told them the blackouts were caused by “vandalism.”
Now, sheriff’s officials are turning to the public for help while property crimes detectives chase down leads. So far, authorities say no suspects have been identified.
An AT&T spokesperson told the outlet the copper wire theft has already cost the telecommunications giant $32 million statewide this year.
Nationwide, the company reportedly sees an average of 200 copper theft incidents every week.
“But beyond the financial impact, the more serious issue is the disruption to connectivity for our customers,” the spokesperson said.
“Copper theft can leave residents, businesses, and entire communities without reliable phone or internet service, affecting everything from daily communication to access to emergency services.”
Residents are urged to keep watch for suspicious vehicles parked along roadsides or in driveways during the late-night or early-morning hours, and to alert the sheriff’s department if anything seems off.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles is grappling with the same crisis. Earlier this month in Van Nuys, thieves made off with internet cables, plunging neighborhoods into complete darkness.
Surveillance video caught the thieves, one shirtless in a mask and the other in a hoodie, pulling copper wire from underground access hatches.
Copper theft has been an ongoing issue in Los Angeles as the value of the metal creeps upward. Most stolen copper wire is found in scrap markets as thieves try to sell it for profit.
Last week, Angelenos found ballots in their mailboxes asking them to approve an initiative that would require annual property fees of hundreds of dollars to replace 200,000 streetlights citywide.
The plan, designed to fix streetlights repeatedly damaged by vandals and copper thieves, would boost the city’s budget from $45 million to $125 million. Wire theft is currently costing LA more than $20 million a year.