Security cameras along Kingsbury Street and Lurline Avenue in Chatsworth captured two suspects stripping copper wire straight out of streetlight poles, leaving an entire stretch of neighborhood streets dark. One suspect appeared to act as a lookout while the other yanked wires free, and the damage didn’t stop at a blackout: the severed lines were left exposed and still carrying live current.
Electrician Finds Severed Wires Still Live
Richard Espinoza, a Chatsworth resident and electrician, said he tested the sheared wires himself with a voltage tester after the theft. According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, Espinoza found the exposed wires were energized at 120 volts, telling the station, “See that, it’s 120 voltage power.” Close-up images obtained by the station show, in the outlet’s words, “a fistful of wires pulled from street light poles along Kingsbury Street and Lurline Avenue.”
Espinoza reported the hazard to the city, and he and his neighbors also reached out to FOX 11 about what happens next. The station’s report says Espinoza was told repairs could take nine months to a year. The city’s Bureau of Street Lighting, which was not quoted addressing the Chatsworth poles specifically, states on its own site that on average, streetlight repairs can take more than one year to complete.
Residents Hand Over Footage to Devonshire Detectives
Clear images and video of the two suspects have been turned over to detectives at LAPD’s Devonshire Division, per the FOX 11 account. Detectives there said copper wire theft has become big business for crooks and that they are part of a regional task force addressing the problem. LAPD’s Operations-Valley Bureau said in a statement that it is actively reviewing reports of suspected wire and metal theft in Chatsworth and surrounding areas while coordinating with partner agencies.
LAPD is also encouraging anyone with information on suspected wire theft or related criminal activity to contact Los Angeles Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. FOX 11 said it reached out to the Department of Water and Power and the Bureau of Street Services about the repair delays but had not received a response by the time of publication.
A Citywide Pattern Behind One Dark Block
The Chatsworth outage fits into a much larger trend. Reports of copper wire theft across Los Angeles roughly doubled, rising from about 7,200 in fiscal year 2022-23 to nearly 16,000 in fiscal year 2024-25, according to data cited by LAist. That same reporting noted monthly calls to the city about the thefts fell from 1,500 in October 2024 to about 200 by May 2025, even as LAPD disbanded its Heavy Metal Task Force in July 2025 amid tighter department and city budgets…