Copper wire thieves strike again in South Bay neighborhood

Copper thieves have struck again in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, leaving behind extensive damage to power poles and businesses.

The latest incident happened Friday night outside a business in the Broadway corridor of East Gardena, according to David Matthews, president of the Harbor Gateway Chamber of Commerce. In an email to KTLA, Matthews confirmed the theft and shared photos of the aftermath.

One image shows a splintered utility pole knocked to the ground outside of a business at 15905 S. Broadway, with severed wires strewn across the street. Another photo captures a large section of cable dangling from a pole, its copper core exposed where someone had cut through the casing.

This incident comes just one day after a string of copper thefts was reported in nearby West Rancho D