The Brief
- Surveillance video shows copper thieves in East Oakland using chains and trucks to rip overhead lines from poles for resale.
- AT&T says thieves are using sophisticated tactics, including tools, ladders, and even trains to pull down cables.
- The thefts disrupt internet service and business operations, and AT&T is offering up to $20,000 for tips leading to arrests and convictions.
CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. – Copper thieves are going to great lengths to get their hands on the profitable metal.
Surveillance video from March shows thieves at work in the middle of the night near 92nd Avenue and C Street in East Oakland. The video shows suspects tossing a chain over overhead lines, attaching it to a truck and driving away, ripping the lines from a pole.
Authorities say the thieves are targeting copper wire to sell for quick cash.…