Copper wire thieves hit at least two Pasadena businesses in the past week, stripping rooftop air conditioning units and leaving owners scrambling for thousands of dollars in repairs as temperatures soared past 90 degrees.
Sweet Red Peach Bakery at 319 S. Arroyo Parkway and Petsadena Pet Hospital on S. Raymond Avenue were both targeted, according to a report published Sunday, July 19, by ColoradoBoulevard.net. Both businesses remain open, but the thefts have forced owners to buy portable AC units, fans, and other temporary cooling equipment to keep operating. Details of the Petsadena theft, including the date and cost of damage, have not been publicly released.
The bakery took the hardest documented hit. Thieves climbed onto the roof Thursday, July 16, and stripped approximately $4,000 worth of copper wire from the AC unit, according to Pasadena police. The damage left behind totaled an estimated $15,000, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.
Without air conditioning on the first day of the Southern California heat wave, temperatures inside the bakery climbed to 92 degrees. Cakes melted. Freezers strained.
"It's just trying times, it just makes you think, 'What's next?'" co-owner Danny Griffin told ABC7 on Sunday, July 19.
Griffin and co-owner Kenyatta Glover opened Sweet Red Peach in early 2025 after the bakery's launch was delayed by the January 2025 Eaton Fire. Glover told ABC7 the latest setback has been emotionally devastating, saying she had been crying for two days straight.
The thefts aren't isolated. A Trek Bicycle store a few doors from Sweet Red Peach on Arroyo Parkway has been burglarized three times in the past seven months, costing nearly $100,000, the store's manager told ABC7.
Copper theft costs LA County $100 million since 2020
The Pasadena thefts fit a wider trend across Los Angeles County. Since 2020, repair costs tied to copper and metal theft in the city of Los Angeles alone have exceeded $100 million, according to a motion the LA County Board of Supervisors approved unanimously on March 17. That motion, authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn, called for a countywide strategy to combat the crisis ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympics.
"Copper theft is not a low-level crime. It jeopardizes public safety, disrupts essential services, and drains taxpayer resources," Barger said in March when the board approved the measure.
Cities across the San Gabriel Valley have experienced repeated thefts affecting communications, sanitation systems, and street lighting, the supervisors' motion noted.
What business owners can do
Pasadena police are urging commercial property owners to take preventive steps, including restricting and securing rooftop access, installing heavy-duty tamper-resistant steel cages around HVAC units, keeping ladders locked, and adding motion-activated security cameras. Police said rooftop units are attractive targets because they sit out of public view on flat, easily accessible buildings.
Police also warned that copper theft is dangerous for the thieves themselves and the public. Cutting live grounding wires can cause electrocution and leave behind exposed wiring that creates fire and traffic hazards.
Anyone with information about these or other copper theft cases can contact the Pasadena Police Department at 626-744-4241.
