The company said it provided a $25,000 reward in connection with an internet outage caused by Sunday’s criminal activity that affected thousands of Los Angeles Spectrum customers.
Service was restored for most customers on Sunday after vandals cut the line at several locations in Vannuis’ West San Fernando Valley community. The crime appeared to be a failed attempt to steal copper wire, but the wire does not contain the precious metals that burglars are seeking for resale.
“The criminal network vandalism is an issue that affects the telecommunications industry as a whole, not primarily due to rising prices of precious metals,” Spectrum said on Sunday. “These vandalisms are not only criminal, but also affect customers, local businesses and potentially emergency services. Spectrum’s textile line does not contain copper.”
Photos provided by Spectrum showed lines cut out into the ground beside the road.
No arrests were reported Monday morning. The company said it was working with the Los Angeles Police Department and provided a reward of up to $25,000 for information that led to an arrest.
The termination of the spectrum affecting the Los Angeles area was caused by a criminal act of vandalism. The repairs continue, we appreciate your patience.
– Ask the spectrum (@ask_spectrum) June 15th, 2025
Spectrum spokesman Dennis Johnson said Spectrum will provide credit to customers affected by the suspension. The daily credits were displayed on the next invoice, and customers did not need any action.
“The majority of customers affected by the Textile Line vandalism were restoring their services on Sunday,” Johnson said. “We brought in an extra crew, completed the repairs as soon as possible, and continued to restore service early this morning. We thank our customers who were affected by our patience and provide us with credit for the day.”
Anyone with information was asked to contact Spectrum at 833-404-TIPS (8477) or local law enforcement agency.
According to data from Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, there were around 6,000 copper theft cases nationwide in late 2024, with about a third of cases in California.
Los Angeles’ sixth street bridge has been repeatedly targeted by burglars who stole the copper wiring that runs the LED lighting system for miles. In another well-known case, the metal parts were pulled away from Caltrans’s property, resulting in a loss of $150,000 in the city.
