Two arrested in copper theft that disconnected La Grange from phone service

Authorities on Thursday arrested a man and a woman in connection with the theft of wire in La Grange the previous day, which disrupted telephone service to parts of three counties.

Vandals stole large sections of phone wire in La Grange early Wednesday, disabling landline phone service throughout the area until 10:15 p.m., the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department reported.

They took the copper wiring, but also cut through a fiber-optic line that knocked out 911 service to centers in Tuolumne, Mariposa and Stanislaus counties while also affecting some cellphone service. Damages were estimated at $65,000.

AT&T crews worked the entire day to restore service, and Stanislaus County emergency services officials established a mobile command post, working with officials from the other counties to re-establish 911 service. The cost of repairs has not been determined.

On Thursday, Detectives Cody Williams and Ryan Jenkins began checking with all area recyclers to see if the wire had been brought in, authorities said in a news release. They found that a Modesto recycler had accepted more than 110 pounds of copper wire just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. Investigators identified John Evans, 26, and Shalene Wise, 25, both of Modesto as suspects.

At 10:45 a.m., detectives went to the suspects’ home in the 2400 block of Sunrise Avenue, where they found Evans and Wise. They also found evidence showing that Evans had the wire and Wise helped him remove insulation from it.

“Removing the insulation from the copper wire increases the value at a recycling center because the recycling center will not have to do it themselves,” Jenkins said in a news release.

Evans was arrested on charges of possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools. Wise was arrested on a charge of criminal conspiracy.

“Copper wire is commonly stolen by drug addicts and salvaged for money to fuel their addiction,” Sheriff Adam Christianson said in the release. “This cowardly act of theft and vandalism placed the community at risk, leaving the residents without 911 services and telephone communications. We will work diligently to identify those thieves and hold them accountable. We’re asking for the the public’s help in identifying those responsible by calling the Sheriff’s Office or CrimeStoppers with any information.”

Christianson said he wasn’t aware of any missed or delayed calls. “We moved quickly to put portable communications equipment in place while repairs were being made.”

This story was originally published April 23, 2015 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Two arrested in copper theft that disconnected La Grange from phone service."