Suspected L.A. copper wire thief goes into a manhole and refuses to come out

[Zorro]

An attempted theft of copper wire on Tuesday led to a predawn barricade situation — inside a city manhole — authorities said.

A thief in Chatsworth tried to evade law enforcement by hiding in the manhole for nearly four hours, a police official said.

At 1:44 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department responded to the 20400 block of West Germain Street, a residential neighborhood that’s adjacent to Mason Park, after receiving a call of a possible wire theft in progress.

The alleged thieves were targeting an underground vault owned by AT&T through a manhole, ABC7 News reported. The Times did not receive a comment from the telecommunications company before publication. Manholes can provide access to underground electric utility and telecommunications cables and wires. These access points are typically used for adding or repairing cables.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-27/la-wire-theft-suspect-goes-into-manhole-refuses-to-come-out

[The Mouth]

1. Fuck those assholes

Copper thieves are ruining infrastructure.

A few flash-bangs or tear gas.

I hate thieves.

[quaint]

2. First they tried using a K9 to coax the individual out, Im said.

When the dog didn’t motivate the person out of the manhole, officers deployed tear gas. The suspect emerged and was arrested. (from link)