Despite copper wire thieves disrupting phone service, LA residents continue to pay their bills.

Copper wire thieves are causing panic among Los Angeles residents, who are left without phone service and facing hefty bills.

Over the past few months, Hacienda Heights residents have experienced a significant loss of landline services due to thieves tampering with utility poles and other city infrastructure.

Despite not being able to get a dial tone for six months and not receiving updates on repairs, Michael Weiner, a 79-year-old resident of Los Angeles, continues to receive bills from his phone company, Frontier Communications.

""We were not informed about the situation, and I had spent a lot of time trying to reach them. We live in a high-risk area, so we're always worried about emergencies. As seniors, if there's a health crisis between my wife and me, it could be a problem if we can't make a phone call," Weiner said."

Despite Frontier Communications' vice president of external affairs, Doug McAllister, stating last month that thieves have been disrupting their repairs, the company reported restoring some phone services.

"We're running out of copper due to excessive cable theft," McAllister stated. "When we receive it, we install it, then turn our backs and it disappears."

Both the company and Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis are offering rewards for information leading to the capture of thieves. The company is offering $5,000, while Supervisor Solis is offering $20,000.

Solis pledged to keep assisting the Sheriff's Department in resolving these crimes, as stated in her declaration.

Many residents are still frustrated with Frontier's slow response to the issue and lack of service, prompting 65-year-old Diana Arnold to switch to a different provider.

Arnold explained that it's not just a landline, but a lifeline.

The Los Angeles Times reports that copper metal can fetch up to $4 per pound and has been a popular target among thieves.

Last month, the power was cut off at Glen A. Wilson High School, leading to a temporary suspension of in-person classes due to recent thefts.

""Copper wire thieves are targeting schools and stealing thousands of dollars of valuable material, causing Wilson High School's electrical, computers, and phone systems to shut down, severely impacting student learning and programs," Assistant Superintendent John Lovato of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District stated."

In Oakland, city officials removed traffic lights at a busy intersection due to criminals tampering with the electricity in the system.