Overview:
Copper cable thieves have been particularly active in California, with 1,800 cases reported this year.
Richmond is among cities seeing this trend, with 32 thefts reported in just a two-month period this year.
Richmondside took a look at how this is impacting an east Richmond neighborhood, where repair trucks are a constant presence as utility companies try to keep up with repairing decimated wires.
On a quiet Sunday night, while Wilber Gomez was asleep on his living room couch, he was startled awake by a loud crash outside his east Richmond home. A thick cable had fallen and struck his neighbor’s recycling bin. As he looked out the window into the 3 a.m. darkness he saw two men using a small handsaw to cut the downed line.
Realizing he was witnessing yet another cable theft in his neighborhood, he immediately called the police.
Gomez, a Richmond resident of more than 30 years, says that in recent months it has become increasingly common to see severed cables hanging from utility poles and AT&T repair trucks parked along the street as workers try to keep up with the thieves who want to sell the copper wires inside telecommunication lines.
Another east Richmond resident, who didn’t want her name published, recalled how the cable thefts unfolded on her block. First, she noticed a cable dangling over her neighbor’s driveway. A few days later, a similar wire was hanging outside her house. Day by day, more dangling cables appeared in front of other houses along the same side of the street.
When she called PG&E they told her the cable wasn’t theirs — it was a communications cable. She then contacted AT&T, which responded promptly. When she reported the incident to the police, she was told that only AT&T could file a theft report, since it was their property.
Copper thefts a national trend; California hit the hardest
This Richmond neighborhood isn’t the only one experiencing such thefts. According to AT&T, the telecommunications industry nationally noted nearly 6,000 incidents of copper theft and infrastructure vandalism between June and December of 2024. California has been hit the hardest, with 1,800 reported cases this year so far, more than any other state.
Why exactly is this happening? Copper is widely used in power generation and transmission, and new copper can be expensive, with prices reaching a record one-day high of $5.95 a pound in July.
That then drives up the value of scrapped copper, which can be sold for $2.45 to $3.80 per pound, depending on its quality and whether its insulation has been removed.
According to Richmond Police Department spokesman Lt. Donald Patchin there have been at least three arrests related to wire theft in the past 45 days and seven arrests so far this year. He noted that copper thefts have long been a problem in Richmond and continue to challenge law enforcement. The department collaborates with AT&T and PG&E whenever a report is made and a suspect can be identified.
The thefts also impact public infrastructure, including traffic signals and rail systems. Thieves commonly target areas with exposed or accessible cables.
Copper thieves primarily target aerial communication cables used for landline phone service and older broadband networks. Thieves sometimes mistakenly cut fiber optic cables, resulting in widespread service outages that can disrupt homes, businesses, and emergency services.
For Gomez and other east Richmond residents, the thefts haven’t caused major damage or service disruptions. Like many residents, they rely on mobile phones rather than landlines. Sometimes utilities don’t even replace the cable at all. For example, in front of Gomez’s house, the copper cable hasn’t been replaced. Instead, a remaining section, about 30 feet long and cut on both ends, has been secured with zip ties.
Copper thefts can have dangerous outcomes for residents and thieves
Reward for copper cable theft convictions
AT&T is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in a copper cable theft or the attempted sale of stolen cable in California.
The company asks the public to report to police suspicious activity, including unmarked vehicles or individuals tampering with utility lines. Citizens can also call AT&T Global Security at 800-807-4205. Reports can remain confidential. The reward offer is valid through Feb. 1, 2026.
Still, vulnerable populations, including seniors and emergency service providers, still depend on these networks. When copper is cut, 911 can be affected and emergency communications may be compromised. In June of 2024, copper cable thefts disrupted 911 service in parts of west Contra Costa County, including Pinole, Hercules, and San Pablo. The outages disrupted emergency communications for about a week and two men were arrested on June 22, 2024.
According to news reports, on Aug. 20, 2024, a man was electrocuted and killed in a Richmond underground PG&E vault during a suspected attempted copper theft that caused explosions and a power outage affecting more than 1,500 customers, officials said.
AT&T’s spokesperson Chris Collins said via email that the financial impact is significant, with the company and other providers spending tens of millions of dollars each year on repairs, replacements, and labor. Repair time and cost vary greatly between incidents, depending on factors such as the type and size of copper stolen, the extent of damage, and the location.
“We typically replace the stolen/damaged copper with copper, and then it’s repeatedly stolen,” he said. “Very time consuming. That’s the problem…”
AT&T is transitioning to fiber optic cable, which is easier to source and quicker to install, he said but using it is dependent upon technical, logistical, and regulatory factors.
Stealing utility services, depending on the value, can be a felony, punishable with prison time, fines and requiring restitution. Some individuals burn the cables to remove the plastic and increase the value.
“When you see burned copper, you don’t really know where it comes from,” said Rudy Mazariegos, owner of Mazariegos Recycling, a San Pablo scrap yard. About a year ago, Mazariegos learned the hard way when he was arrested by San Pablo police after the business, unknowingly, he said, purchased 800 pounds of burned copper.
“They treated us like criminals. We had no criminal record,” he said, stressing that they always require customers to show identification and had always cooperated with law enforcement.
According to the San Pablo Police Department and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, the case remains under investigation.
Since then, the shop has updated its policies. It no longer accepts burned cable or any material that might belong to AT&T. Sellers must now also provide a fingerprint. A notice from AT&T hangs on the shop’s wall, displaying photos of commonly stolen cables. The flyer arrived about six months ago.
“If we had those pictures a year ago, it would have made a difference,” Mazariegos said.
In an email, Patchin said the types of copper being stolen vary from communications cable to heavy-gauge electrical wire. The thefts are occurring citywide, but there has been a noticeable increase in the north district. Over a recent 30-day period, there were nine reported thefts in that area. Citywide, about 32 reports of wire theft were filed in July and August of 2025. Patchin also noted that one additional copper-related theft arrest was made on Sept. 30 in the 2000 block of Potrero Avenue.
