Two charged with cutting wires; 40,000 lose internet service

Police in Connecticut have charged two people with cutting over 2,000 fiber optic lines, resulting in over 40,000 homes and businesses without internet service in the southwestern part of the state.

Norwalk officers responded to a report of damage to provider Optimum cable lines on Broad Street at 7:16 a.m. March 24, according to a news release. Detectives quickly identified suspects and a vehicle they were likely in. Arrest warrants were then issued for Austin Geddings and Jillian Persons.

Detectives conducted a surveillance operation in Bridgeport when they observed Persons inside a business on Boston Avenue. She was arrested without incident.

A short time later detectives located and arrested Geddings in a wooded area near West Avenue in Stratford.

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Both were detained on $200,000 bail. It was not immediately clear if they have lawyers who could respond to the allegations.

Geddings, 26, and Persons, 30, are both from Asheville, North Carolina, according to police. Both have been charged with larceny and criminal mischief crimes, as well as interfering with police. Persons also was accused of giving a false statement to police.

Authorities did not release details of how they identified them as the suspects. 

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Police said Persons and Geddings are scheduled to appear in court April 11.

The outages have since been restored, according to Optimum Help’s Twitter page the evening of March 24.

“Optimum delivers a full suite of products and services, including Internet, TV, phone, and mobile, that connect residential and business customers seamlessly at home, work, and on the go. Plus, Optimum is building a new 100 percent fiber internet network delivering speeds up to 5 Gig with 99.9 percent reliability,” according to its website. 

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Last November Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong announced an investigation into the provider after his office received nearly 500 consumer complaints dating back to January 2017 regarding slow internet speeds, hidden fees and unacceptable technical support, according to WTIC-TV.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.