Police: Stolen copper wire to blame for Fountaingrove streetlight outages

Thieves have stolen as much as 8,000 feet of copper wire once used to power street lamps along Fountain Grove Parkway in Santa Rosa, police said.

It was not clear when the wire was stolen, but the theft was reported to police Friday morning after city crews, checking into complaints about failing lights in the area, discovered the wire was missing, police Sgt. David Linscomb said.

Street lights on Thomas Lake Harris Drive and Parker Hill Road also were disabled by the theft, Linscomb said.

Police believe the wire likely was stolen by night, though the timing and number of people involved was not known.

Cash sales of metals for recycling, notably copper, have fueled numerous thefts in recent years from public utilities, construction sites, abandoned buildings and other sources.

Thieves typically resell the metals in the Bay Area, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information about the theft to contact police Officer Andrew Alford at (707) 543-3600.