$46,000 in stolen copper and aluminum found at recycling center, L.A. police say
Los Angeles police searching a recycling center in the San Fernando Valley have recovered about $46,000 worth of metals stolen from city infrastructure, such as street lights, officials said.
According to law enforcement, police were conducting compliance checks at recycling centers last Friday when they discovered 4,202 pounds of stolen copper and aluminum at Tuxford Recycling in Sun Valley.
Over the last year, Los Angeles has seen a surge of thefts of copper, brass and other metals from street lights, tombstones, fire hydrants and transit rail lines, among other places.
In total, officers said they recovered the following:
- 290 pounds of street lighting wire worth $2,000 taken from the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting
- 290 pounds of street lighting wire worth $10,000 taken from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation
- A 256-pound bronze plaque stolen from the city of Burbank worth $10,000
- 3,366 pounds of copper and aluminum wire worth $24,000 taken from Caltrans
The owner of the recycling center, Bedros “Peter” Zhamkochian, 56, was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property and is facing felony charges next month when he appears at the San Fernando Courthouse, authorities say.
Council members lauded the copper wire task force for its efforts to curtail thefts that have left neighborhoods without street lighting or internet service.
It was not clear how he obtained the scrap metal or whether he was planning to resell it; the LAPD did not respond to The Times’ request for comment.
Police say the compliance checks were in collaboration with the office of City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who represents parts of the San Fernando Valley. Earlier in February, Krekorian blamed scrapyards and other purchasers of stolen metal for being the source of the theft problem.
In the last year, the City Council has made an effort to curb thefts by pouring more funding into a copper wire task force and proposing a cash reward system for anyone who reports a crime related to the theft of metals from public infrastructure.
But not all council members agree the strategy is working. Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martínez and Eunisses Hernandez have asked instead for those funds to be put toward maintenance and updating to solar-powered and LED lights, which don’t require copper wiring.
Meanwhile, residents have struggled with living in the dark, including in Pico-Union, where street lights have been out for months.
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