East LA Sheriff's Station Phones Back Online After Copper Theft

It's April 26th.

You're listening to California News today, AI-powered local news.

I'm Corey with the story.

Phone lines at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station are finally back online after more

than two months down from copper wire theft.

The outage kicked off on February 13th when thieves snag thousands of dollars in copper

from a nearby electrical vault, damaging fiber optic.

Cables 2.

Service guy restored on Thursday, April 23rd, letting dispatches return to the station

from a temporary satellite trailer.

AT&T handled the repairs, which dragged on because copper fixes take about five times

longer than fiber ones on average.

Station captain's henchmen and kusa Yanagi led the charge, teaming up with the communications

and fleet management bureau to get it done.

That initial hit disrupted phone service along eastern avenue in Boyle Heights and East

LA, leaving around 100,000 residents without lines for five days.

Many folks and assembly member Jessica Colose's office jumped in, pressuring AT&T to hustle

on the fixes after the sheriff's team reached out for help.

Copper theft has been hitting the east side hard lately, knocking out lights and crippling

public spots across neighborhoods.

Officials say it's a growing headache that's left folks vulnerable.

Restoration like this shows what teamwork can do against these repeat crimes.

But until thieves get checked, stations and streets stay at risk.

Stay sharp out there.