Vandalism linked to Verizon outages affecting customers in Southern California

Thousands of Verizon customers in Southern California experienced mobility and internet outages on Sunday, Aug. 9, after vandals cut multiple fiber cables, a Verizon spokesperson said.

Verizon customers on social media referenced service outages starting on Sunday morning, with several reporting that service in the San Fernando Valley had been out for hours.

Verizon technicians were in the process of repairing damaged cables and the company expected that service would be restored by early evening, a spokesperson said.

“Acts of network theft and vandalism represent a direct threat to the safety and security of our communities,” the spokesperson said. “These are not simple property crimes; they are dangerous disruptions that cut off vital lifelines for our first responders and public safety officials who rely on constant connectivity.”

Verizon has reported the vandalism to law enforcement but further details regarding a possible investigation into any criminal activity remain unclear. The specific locations where cables were cut were not disclosed by Verizon.

“Verizon is committed to raising awareness and driving proactive solutions to prevent these direct attacks,” the spokesperson said. “We are actively collaborating with industry partners and law enforcement agencies to push for stricter laws and stronger enforcement to protect this critical infrastructure. We strongly urge anyone who witnesses these acts to report them immediately to local law enforcement. We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience.”

The company plans to provide further updates on outages for specific regions on their website.