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Miracle Mile Copper Theft Leaves Streets Dark and Dangerous

1/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Copper wire theft along Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile has left blocks without street lighting for nine months, raising safety concerns ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
The city has spent about $2.5 million on repairs, and the theft has damaged thousands of streetlight poles.
A homeless man was electrocuted while attempting to steal copper wiring from a vacant strip mall, causing outages for about 2,500 homes.

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Story summary

Copper wire theft along Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile has left blocks without street lighting for nine months, raising safety concerns ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
The city has spent about $2.5 million on repairs, and the theft has damaged thousands of streetlight poles.
A homeless man was electrocuted while attempting to steal copper wiring from a vacant strip mall, causing outages for about 2,500 homes.