Vandals cut Spectrum fiber lines causing widespread LA service disruption

A massive outage has been reported in the Los Angeles area on Father’s Day after internet and cable provider Spectrum linked the issue to “criminal acts of vandalism.”

“We are currently working on a Fiber cut affecting the Los Angeles area. We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.

Thank you,” the company shared in an alert on X.

A spokesperson for the company told Fox News Digital that they discovered that lines had been cut due to vandalism in Van Nuys on Sunday morning, which also impacted other areas. 

“Early this morning our fiber optic lines were intentionally cut in Los Angeles due to vandalism,” the statement read.

“The fiber cuts caused a temporary outage for some residents and businesses in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, and surrounding areas. Our services were being restored throughout the morning and restoration efforts continue this afternoon.”

More than 25,000 Spectrum users in the Los Angeles area reported issues on DownDetector.com, which tracks outages, beginning at 3 a.m., according to the website.

The site is based on user self-reporting, which means it may not depict the whole scope of the outages. 

The company implied that “criminal acts of network vandalism have become an issue affecting the entire telecommunications industry, not just Spectrum.” 

Spectrum added that they believe that the rise in theft is “largely due to the increase in the price of precious metals.”

“These acts of vandalism are not only a crime, but also affect our customers, local businesses and potentially emergency services. Spectrum’s fiber lines do not include any copper,” the company said. 

The company operates in 41 states with services available to more than 57 million homes and businesses, according to the company’s website. 

Spectrum said that they are working with the Los Angeles Police Department and are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Anyone with information on this act of vandalism is encouraged to contact Spectrum at 833-404-TIPS(8477) or reach out to local law enforcement.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.