Overview
- Pasadena police say thieves removed about $4,000 worth of copper wire from a rooftop air-conditioning unit at Sweet Red Peach Bakery, leaving roughly $15,000 in damage to the system.
- The bakery has kept serving customers despite interior temperatures rising to about 90–92 degrees, melted goods, stressed freezers, use of portable AC and ice, and owners reporting emotional and financial strain.
- City officials and the police warned that multiple businesses have been targeted, identified Petsadena Pet Hospital as another victim, and urged owners to report tips to authorities.
- Officials advised hardening rooftop units with heavy-duty steel cages, securing ladders and installing motion-activated cameras and cautioned that cut grounding lines or exposed wiring can cause lethal shocks and fires.
- Local merchants say the thefts add to a string of property crimes in the area, including a nearby Trek Bicycle store hit three times in seven months, showing how repeated losses and extreme heat can imperil small-business operations.