Police Officers Arrest RV Owner for Stealing Electricity From City During Weekly Venice Cleanup
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- Опубліковано 6 січ 2025
- During a routine homeless encampment cleanup on Thursday, December 19, 2024, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers discovered an electric cable extending from a parked RV on Fourth Street in Venice. The cable was unlawfully tapping into city electrical infrastructure on the sidewalk. After investigating, officers arrested the RV resident for violating California Penal Code (PC) 498(b), which prohibits the theft of utility services. The individual was cited and released on-site, avoiding jail but agreeing to appear in court at a later date as part of California's “cite and release” procedure.
California PC 498(b) criminalizes unauthorized diversion, tampering with, or connection to utility services such as electricity, gas, and water. Violations include diverting services without payment, tampering with meters or property, and making unauthorized connections. Depending on the value of the stolen services and the offender’s history, the offense may be charged as a misdemeanor or felony, carrying penalties such as fines, custody time, and potential collateral consequences like immigration impacts or loss of professional licenses.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges posed by utility theft in areas impacted by homelessness, further emphasizing the complexities of addressing such issues during routine cleanups.
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Fabian Lewkowicz, an award-winning accredited photojournalist and press photographer based in Santa Monica, is renowned for his captivating imagery and storytelling. As the creator of Santa Monica Closeup, he draws on years of experience with local media outlets like the Santa Monica Daily Press and The Corsair to capture iconic moments in the city's history.
Santa Monica Closeup is a visual chronicle of the vibrant and diverse community of Santa Monica, brought to life through Fabian's seasoned lens. With deep roots in the city, he offers an authentic and intimate glimpse into everyday life, crafting compelling videos that resonate with both locals and visitors alike.
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The geek on the skateboard gave the camera man the bird @ 0:31 … 😂probably skateboarding home to his mommy…
He probably claims the security guards are "out to get him" for using his "constitutional right" to skateboard anywhere especially on private property. 😂
You saw that too that little bastard
Ya skateboard boy is such a rebel
People that can't take care of themselves shouldn't have dogs.
❤agreed
Meanwhile, we pay for all the theft of "free" electricity and LAPD just walks away. The DWP should have been called to remove the lines and identify this man for future prosecution.
I was quite surprised the LAPD didn't call the utility company!!!
Ya free electricity and people that work pay a lot of money for it and he takes up the side walk like it’s his own yard with carpet and chairs. Homeless are getting way out of hand
was paying 500 this summer.
I'm homeless and I hate other homeless people. I have a unactivated flip phone that I call 911 to snitch them out day and night. I'll be in the treees listening to their conversations, and if I hear one of them say, "I have warrants out for my arrest " Im pulling out the flip and calling 911 😅
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yeah he went a bit too far but then again we got this issue with real estate being treated like its a luxury. This is at least driving down the prices of homes a tiny bit so in a way I kinda don’t mind… except all this carpet and stuff, yeah now I DO mind.
Should arrest him on the spot, have his RV towed, stealing electricity puts all the public in danger
Plus there is no way that thing is road worthy , registered and insured.
The Car behind also has no plates or Tag.
And look at all that shit they're leaving all over the sidewalk.
And their blocking 3/4 of the sidewalk thats hazardous.
Arrest . Not cite and release.
Drag all them hoopties to the scrap yard. You might get 20 bucks for the both of them.
And im betting there is drugs and paraphenailia too.
Disgusting,
Just because your homeless dosent mean you have to live like a Pig.
Not happening in sweet CALIFORNIA...
Thank you, DEMOCRATS... (YOU DESTROYED THE GOLDEN STATE )
I saw a video that most tow yards do not tow RVs immediately is that RVs fall in a different category than a regular automobile because of the living quarters attached to them especially the bathrooms. Those RVs come with a new set of rules and regulations when it comes to towing.
Doesn't pay tax and steals from the city ?
Meanwhile the sewage flows directly into the street. And the tags are more than 2 years expired. And the vehicles don't run. And they are a hazard to anyone using the sidewalk. And the wiring is exposed. And they park in the same spot for years. But it's all good!
Finally the city is doing SOMETHING but not enough. I bet there are more guys around the city doing the same. Blame the voters that vote in city officials that think this is fine and "compassionate".😂
@@MarioG.-yt1ofnew some must be getting ready to run for president in ,2028.
Fabian, you do a fantastic job covering this area.
Oh that's got to be a felony. That's critical infrastructure.
He probably has been doing it for years.
I gotta pay for my power, no free power here buddy!
stealing electricity should go jail and pay the fine
Hold on captain happy.
The only other times I've ever seen jumper cables used were in grow ops
Ever wire 3-phase circuits? If you don't do it correctly, you can easily create a shock hazard. This isn't just about stealing power.
Yes, overheating and fire issues...
Many street lights are fed with 347 Volts, not 120 or 240 volts. Dangerous place to steal electricity.
Where did you read that?
@@flyer617 The in-pavement access box where the illegal electrical tap was located "appears" to be feeding the street lights. Most street lights are fed with 347 volts as opposed to 120 or 240 volts.
@@davidcurrie5260 Town systems are mostly 120 and sometimes 208 or 240. The larger city systems are sometimes run off of one phase of a 480 volt Wye system so 277 volts nominal. I've never seen any 347 volt circuits, where have you seen such a system?
Skateboarders with attitudes in Venice?? Im aghast.
So true
😂
WOW. Must be having a rough day...Maybe he skinned his knee....
🎄***DOGTOWN***
HE SKINNED HIS KNEE😂 🌴🎄***DOGTOWN***
@ iv partied down there , Dog town , way back n the late 70’s . Venice area .
Anything on a public right of way should picked up for disposal. Time to start enforcing the laws. And any vehicle not capable of moving is an abandoned vehicle and should be towed. Where do you suppose they empty their porta potty? And besides theft of utilities, charge him with electrical work without a permit or license to perform electrical work.
Every Sovereign Citizen knows “everything” in the public right of way is free for the public to use as they see fit. He wasn’t stealing electricity he was just allowing the electrons to travel freely through the jumper cables.
“Don’t Tread On Me”
Instead of looking for a Job, hes looking for free Electricity
I have a friend that works for the public works department here where I live and he told me dirty secret. That secret is city officials ignore these RVs because in their "logic", these RVs provide shelter for the most part compared to a tent, tarp, or sleeping bag. However a lot of these RVs are in bad shape where the roof leaks during rainstorms, the vehicle part of the RV is not working, the toilet container has its sewage directly dump over a storm drain or onto the street.
Why didn't the girl in the pop-up camper get a ticket?? their was a wire going there to......
Looked like it wasn't hooked up. No telling if she got a ticket, though.
For some reason, they viewed the man as more of a threat: handcuffs, face the fence, etc.
because she was hot
so they stripped the insulation and now it will take an entire crew from DWP to come out an replace the damaged length of wire. losers.
..Ask just about anyone living in Malibu. That is how a good number of fires are started there. Homeless hooking up to power.
..
Well if you quit spending your money on drugs and spend $178 on a solar kit you wouldn't have to steal electricity from the city
Chances area that the dude has EBT card...
basically a PARASITE to society
Looks like the registration says , "Apr 2022." So no one has towed this illegal vehicle for over two years?
Non profits for the homeless and LA Housing Authority never came by to check on these thieves and saw them stealing electricity for a year and never reported it to the city and power company?? What are the names of those people???
Did his RV have a valid license and insurance? In Illinois, the RV would be towed and held until the owner paid for every year of license that was missed...Plus valid Insurance and storage fees.
PS. The pop-up camper, behind the RV, needs plates too.
Arrested and released on site. Boy o Boy we sure are tough on the homeless.
Thought it was a crime to obstruct city side walks ??? What a disgusting mess !!! While it costs us an arm and a leg for utilities ones like this continue to steal !!!!
It’s only a crime if you’re a hardworking tax paying citizen. Everyone else gets a free pass.
Love the “peace” sign given by Skate Boy 😂
Put him in prison for the rest of his life !!!!
Should be a ticket and move your RV out the city.
Why did they not disconnect it or bring in someone to disconnect it? He’s just gonna use it again tonight.
How shocking someone would do that!
The city must use individual photocells on the streetlights instead of one photocell on the cabinet controlling the entire system. This gives them hot wires 24/7 instead of only at night.
You know, I've always had a policy of not giving the police a reason to talk to me. What's wrong with these people?
Wiseguy 👀 Free loading Charlie🤣✨
This RV owner really put alot of Folks @ risk just to steal electricity it Dangerous hopefully he will be held accountable for his foolish actions
Where can a person sleep in a car and contain all their stuff to only the car -- not all spread out?
BLM lands out in the boonies
Where can you get free electricity....California? All his stuff is most likely stolen.
Good thing it wasn’t a foot chase…
If your going to steal electricity at least try to be code compliant. That hookup looks a bit sketty.
That cop wants to be a k9 cop now .😂
I’m sure everything they have there has been stolen from someone else.
But why is he not working and taking responsibility for himself instead of stealing?
If gruesome didnt misplace the 24 billion dollar homeless fund maybe hed be ok.
They need Towtrucker
@@ThomasJoyner-n5o I was expecting one to turn up, But the Police let him go, He did "STEAL" from the City..Didn't he???
Great work that you do in the cleaning service🚧🛻🚚 and the crazy people you have to deal with every day is terrible, how good that the Santa Monica Police are looking after you🚔🚔🚔
Ironic that the police go after the power thief, but if he were to shoplift a store and only took $950 worth of merchandise, they would set him free.
Proves one thing to me, solar panels don't work, thank you for your videos Fabian, respect from Birmingham England.
...how?
They work fine. But it’s easier to steal power than to buy panels, charge controllers, and inverters.
Come on. The power is there running the street light. Whats wrong w tying in??
🌴🎄THANK YOU FABIAN🎄🌴LOVE YOUR CLOSING SHOT!!! I LIVED ON SUNSET AND PCH IN THE 60'S UNTIL THE 80'S...I SEE IT ALMOST LOOKS THE SAME ( THE SKYLINE). 🌴🎄🎅***DOGTOWN***
surprised they didnt steal the copper wires
Free electricity in jail 😅😂🤣
Free electric hookup???
Free electricity comes with a trip to the pokey.
self-install
If this was an illegal immigrant would He Be Arrested. I say no.
They accomplished nothing
Why doesn't this guy just buy a small generator then he can also MOVE from that crowded area! 🙄🙄🙄🙄
Great coverage of all the ins and outs of homelessness Fabian.SMH still at why an arrest wasnt made.If you and I were stealing electricity from the city.We would be arrested for sure...Why us??? Because we all work,pay taxes and the city could get the money for fines,theft and bail. What a mess everything has become.
Lovely dog.....what a shame his owner is a loser.....
Bet RV is not even registered nor licensed
Wait, hold up. This is illegal? Someone should really make a tipping hotline because in DTLA it’s overrun with this type of sh..y
Who is surprised by this news
Freeloadin' teef, mon... I wonder what the guy on the skateboard's problem was.
He was a ditrbag😂
Life
City needs to create safe parking lot areas with restrooms where these vehicles can get off the streets , mayor Bass got 1.3 billion for the homeless
…., in her pocket
Where did the money go???? Someone needs to follow up on where the money was spent.
There were but so many have closed. Even down here in SD. They open, then there's an issue, and then they are closed. Todd Gloria and his gang can't make up their effing minds!!
Why should taxes pay for freeloaders. Why create anything theyll shit on it and wont take care of it. Thats it teach them to be lazy and theyll never work for anything.
Geez you would think someone with enough brain cells to steal electricity from a utility pole that this guy could get a good job somewhere.
Please let the officer 👮 that was standing on the fence near the end of the video that when he as talking to the other officer, he can be heard saying: Another….“Can’t say the “N” word“ . He nods his head to the shorter officer and kinda smirks. (On at 28:24 in video). I know if I head it that the man that was being detained heard him as well. That the kind of officer that gives police officers a bad name! Stealing electricity is no worse than ignorance. Ignorance doesn’t care what race you are.
Just another day in paradise...
Great song 😜
People too lazy to work. Makes me sick.
no groundwire, only the l1 and zero. That alluminium RV couldt be under volta.
13%=60%
60 +
Probably but those are the latest FBI statistics.@@kingburbank9424
arrest? where?
Probably the orange pants guy. It's in the description about how it's a cite and release, which is an arrest with processing and bail at the scene instead of going to jail and a bond hearing.
@6:25
Exactly
@@Sam11747 Looked more like detention than an arrest.
At 25:45 you can see him in handcuffs and the cop pointing to the citation. The cop in the video is likely pointing to the criminal citation saying it's a mandatory court appearance and letting them know the date to show up to court. At 26:40 you can see he signed it. With few exceptions, non-violent misdemeanors are cite and release.
So what happened to the dog
he gets 1 year in jail.
Wait, they just left his “shore power” hooked up? Good ole lapd. Half the station is there to give a single ticket 😂
Why do I have to pay PG and E and they don’t have to?
Guy in skateboard said hi lol
They let him go with a ticket. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤦♂️
U want him to do life ? We would have half the us population in jail if we would lock up all petty crimes
I don't agree with you internet users the tricity it must be free for everyone I wish you not to be in the street like it is poor people who have a lot in America even in France,
thank you Fabian for everything you do I watch all your videos and I don't wish these imbeciles that they put stupid comments, to be in the street like it is poor people
It should have never been a weekly reoccurring event. It's like playing Wack A Mole .
Dummy should have put his carpet and yard junk over the junction box so nobody could see it , maybe he will learn from his mistakes 😂😂😂😂
Who……? Aladdin?
Naw!
The cable going into the RV on the street side was still plenty visible.
‘Oh, nobody would notice this…’ 😮😂
tan lindo el prrito ❤😢
Unexpected ending
nice of cops not to let their garage pull his shit to the yard. Big
break for the guy. Then he's walking.
What a great place, the circus is always in town. This is what freedom means to some people. The rest of us are free to go to work to support them.
This is happening all over CD-se7en in LA
WHY DOES THE CUFFS COME OFF WITH ALL THESE CRIMINALS???
That wasn't a ticket he had to sign, it was a statement provided by LA County that reads "I Wish You Could See The Angel I See When You Stand In Front Of Me, Now Please Be A Good Boy"..
Looks like the city is stealing all their stuff...but that's ok ? Ya think a little bit of power is used up by that camper? How much is spent in wages for all the cops,their cars and the city guys? 1000 more than the power is worth.
Ashamed of nothing. offended by everything! Broncos fan?
0:29 ahahah!
What happened to the snotty five foot tall woman officer with the Napoleon complex?
Eso yevan anos robando ala jente
Look how much this is really costing you folks 😂
Prop 36 in effect.
Thank God there isn't real crime to fight.😅
if people didnt break laws.....
Lol why did they arrest him the DA not going to do nothing but let him go
Homeless put on the street trying to own shit that could fit into a two bedroom apartment. Tf
Too little too late.
WOW .... When did Butterbean become a cop ..🤣🤣🤣
Anyone think he will honor the notice to appear in court? He'll probably stay safe from prosecution in the sanctuary city.
He stealing electricity wire his orange pants