U.S. telecommunications provider Verizon is offering up to $10,000 as a reward for anyone who can present information that will lead to the arrest of copper communications cable thief or thieves that have run away with a total length of approximately 16,000 feet over the last six months in Southern California, primarily in the San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties.
In San Bernardino County, most missing cable incidents occurred in and nearby the cities of Victorville, Hesperia and San Bernardino. The company also reported cases in Thermal in Riverside County and in Baldwin Park City in Los Angeles County. Verizon has been cooperating closely with the state and local law enforcement authorities to locate and catch the criminals. In the meantime, the company has reinforced its security measures in the area to prevent additional thefts.
With 16 occurrences reported, including the latest theft on June 22 near the city of San Bernardino, the absence of the communication cables cause needless telephone and Internet service outages for hundreds of Verizon subscribers, aside from putting public safety at risk. In some serious cases, the company has taken several days to resolve the service outages.
Verizon California's regional president Margaret Serjak issued a statement that these thefts endanger the people in their communities with the severance of communications links to emergency services. She said that people rely heavily on their phone and online services especially in times of crisis, and the company will not tolerate the deliberate criminal acts against their consumers and the network.
With more than 106 million retail connections nationwide, Verizon runs the most reliable wireless network in the U.S. The company also delivers converged information, communications and entertainment services all over the country through its advanced fiber-optic network and provides integrated business solutions to consumers in more than 150 countries.
Persons who think they may provide useful information about the crimes may contact Verizon Security at 1-800-997-3287 or Deputy R. Oakleaf from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department at 760-248-7655.
