Residents blame copper wire thieves for leaving downtown LA neighborhood in the dark

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Residents say copper thieves are leaving their downtown Los Angeles neighborhood in the dark.

Once the sun goes down, it gets pitch dark for several blocks on Bixel Street. Residents suspect thieves are stealing copper wire from streetlights.

"I've noticed we haven't had lights for a couple of months now. It makes the neighborhood a little more scary, sketchy," resident Roman Lopez said.

Marcial Lopez says he's called the city numerous times demanding the lights be fixed. He said each time he calls nothing is done.

Roman and Marcial say with crime being an issue in the area, especially at night, residents are terrified to leave their homes in the darkness.

"It's even scary just to walk down the street to get groceries or anything you might need from the liquor store or supermarket down the street," Roman said.

"You never know who's going to attack you," he added.

The Los Angeles Police Department told Eyewitness News that while copper thefts remain a problem throughout the city, they have not gotten any reports of copper thefts from streetlights along Bixel Street.

Residents also say thieves have stolen copper from nearly half a dozen EV stations on the street, rendering them useless. EV stations in the area were seen with exposed wires from cut cables. A closer look at the inside of the cut cables clearly shows copper.

Eyewitness News reached out to city officials and has not yet heard back.