LOS ANGELES — As Southern California continues to grapple with widespread copper wire thefts that have left neighborhoods in the dark, elected officials Monday urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign new legislation aimed at cracking down on the crimes.
Assemblyman Mark González, D-Los Angeles, led a news conference in downtown Los Angeles with LA County and city leaders to encourage Newsom to sign AB 476, which they said would strengthen enforcement tools and help protect critical infrastructure from copper wire theft.
In the LA area, more than 38,000 feet — or about seven miles — of copper wire have been stolen from the Sixth Street Bridge, resulting in $2.5 million in taxpayer-funded repairs…