Detectives Make Arrest in Telephone Wire Theft in La Grange
Stanislaus County Rural Crimes Detectives arrested 26 year old John Evans and 25 year old Shalene Wise both from Modesto as a result of their investigation into the theft of telephone wire that disrupted service in La Grange, CA yesterday. Evans was arrested for possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools and Wise was arrested for criminal conspiracy.
During the investigation Detective Cody Williams found that AT&T employees estimated 1000 feet of 50 strand communication wire had been stolen and it caused approximately $65,0000 in damage. AT&T spent several hours yesterday restoring service to the residents. It is still not known how many homes were affected by the loss of telephone services yesterday to Mariposa, Tuolumne and Stanislaus County residents.
This morning Detectives Cody Williams and Ryan Jenkins began checking with all the local recyclers to see if the wire had been brought in. They found that a local recycler near Beard Ave in Modesto, CA had taken in over 110 pounds of copper wire just after 5:00 PM yesterday.
Detective Williams identified Evans and Wise as possible suspects after speaking with employees from the recycling center. At approximately 10:45 AM today Detectives Williams and Jenkins went to the suspects residence in the 2400 Block of Sunrise Ave in Modesto, CA where he located both Evans and Wise. After a search of the residence he found evidence to show that Evans was in possession of the stolen communication wire and Wise assisted him in removing the insulation from the copper wire. Detectives Williams said, "By removing the insulation from the copper wire it increases the value at a recycling center because the recycling center will not have to do it themselves." Both were arrested and have been booked in Stanislaus County Jail facilities.
Anyone with information on the theft of the telephone wire can call Detective Cody Williams at 209-525-7057.
If you have any tips, you can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Tipsters can also e-mail tips at http://www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers, or text them to CRIMES (274637) by typing "Tip704" plus the message and be eligible for a cash reward
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Adam Christianson, Sheriff – Coroner
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A major AT&T line in La Grange, CA was stolen by vandals sometime in the early morning hours of April 22, 2015. Large sections of telephone wire was taken, knocking out service in the La Grange area. While cutting the copper the thieves also severed a fiber optic line and damaged poles causing a failure in communication to 911 centers in Tuolumne, Mariposa and Stanislaus Counties. Customers were not able to make telephone calls from a landline and in addition it had some affect on cell phone service. AT&T immediately responded to make the necessary repairs to fix the damaged telephone wire and service was restored at 10:15 PM.
A contingency plan was developed by Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services for continued service throughout the day, which included representatives from Stanislaus County law enforcement, fire and Stanislaus Regional 911 Dispatch to respond to La Grange. Authorities from Tuolumne and Mariposa County joined the Stanislaus team and established unified command in a mobile command post. They staffed a temporary call center to receive any requests for emergency services from the residents affected by the loss of telephone coverage.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office has also started an investigation into the theft of the telephone wire. It is not known at this time the cost to fix the damage caused by the thieves or how many customers were affected by the loss of telephone service. Copper wire is commonly stolen by drug addicts and salvaged for money to fuel their addiction.
Sheriff Christianson said, "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."
The immediate response by all agencies to this incident made it possible to quickly establish a plan and implement a temporary solution, which minimized the impacts due to the loss of 911 services to the residents of La Grange until AT&T could make full repairs. Chief Dale Skiles, Stanislaus County Fire Warden - Assistant Director of Emergency Services, stated, "Our public safety agencies in Stanislaus County are committed to planning, preparing and in this case, responding together to help keep our residents safe. We would like to thank AT&T for their rapid response and their collaborative work with us on this incident. We appreciated their efforts in making this incident a priority and restoring telephone services to the residents of La Grange."
Anyone with information on the theft of the telephone wire can call Detective Cody Williams at 209-525-7057.
If you have any tips, you can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Tipsters can also e-mail tips at http://www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers, or text them to CRIMES (274637) by typing "Tip704" plus the message and be eligible for a cash reward
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Register to get free e-mail alerts and text messages directly from us via Nixle. Get detailed up-to-date e-mail and text messages specific to your community from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office by registering for “Nixle Alerts” at: https://local.nixle.com/register
www.scsdonline.com
Adam Christianson, Sheriff – Coroner
Follow Us:
http://twitter.com/StanSheriff
“Like Us” on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/StanSheriff
Official YouTube Channel:
http://youtube.com/user/StanSheriff/
Address/Location
Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department
250 Hackett Road
Modesto, CA 95358
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 209-567-4401
Anthony Bejaran
PIO
[email protected]
209-567-4401