Gardena businesses reeling after rash of copper wire burglaries

GARDENA, Calif. - A rash of burglaries in Gardena has left local businesses and community members upset. They say thieves are using forklifts to smash into warehouses and steal copper wires. 

Neighbors say a nearby homeless encampment is to blame. 

What they're saying:

Kevin and Lor Kaing own LA Press, a commercial printing business in West Rancho Dominguez that prides itself on top quality customer service.

A tall order considering recent setbacks – thieves stole their U-haul and the copper wiring from their electrical box.

We had no power for two days and more than $20,000 to repair," Kevin Kaing stated. 

Meanwhile, down the street, oil wells were shut down after criminals cut through the wrought iron fence and stole copper wires from the transformer that operates them. 

"Chained the electrical box to the vehicle and pulled out, dragging electrical wire and damaging the electrical box. They also damaged the surrounding boxes. From what we were told, it was somewhere around $250K," said Steve Martinez with Robertson's Ready Mix Area. 

With at least three thefts since Labor Day weekend, it's one of several businesses left with several hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. 

Witnesses say they spotted the getaway car – a Silverado truck with the wires hanging out the side that police impounded.

They say the thieves live in a homeless RV encampment along the Broadway corridor and need help.

"A lot of the homeless they are a nuisance they end up breaking into a lot of the equipment, stealing equipment, stealing wires, breaking into pickup trucks and people’s personal vehicles," Martinez added. 

"It’s almost on a weekly basis that we’re getting warehouses ransacked and there’s nothing left inside. Until we start working as one and have a taskforce of some sort, this will just continue to get worse," said community advocate David Matthews.