Charles City County residents left in dark after thieves cut internet lines for copper wire - WWBT

CHARLES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - Charles City region is beauteous rural, but LeeAnn Evans says erstwhile she had occupation making a telephone telephone backmost successful mid-October, she knew thing was wrong

“The archetypal happening I bash each greeting is substance my fellow bully morning, but my telephone wouldn’t work,” Evans said. A batch of radical enactment from home, but they can’t adjacent enactment from location due to the fact that they don’t person internet.”

Evans says the airy connected her net router was besides off. She says she called Verizon, which provides her and galore others with net and compartment telephone service. After that call, Evans said Verizon near her a connection detailing an unusual discovery.

“I called Verizon, and they told maine they would nonstop a technician retired to my home,” Evans said. “Well, a mates of days went by, and they told maine that idiosyncratic was cutting the copper ligament determination and stealing it successful selling it.”

“There is sabotage oregon what we would telephone vandalism successful the country wherever idiosyncratic has stolen aggregate copper cables. It’s the exertion utilized for your landline and net services to work,” a Verizon spokesperson said successful a dependable message.

Evans says whenever Verizon fixes the issue, the thieves travel backmost to chopped the cables again to portion the copper out.

She says it was past fixed Tuesday, Nov. 15, but she says it happened connected astatine slightest 3 occasions implicit the past month.

Now she worries astir what could hap if the enactment gets severed again.

“Without Wi-Fi calling, you cannot usage the compartment telephone to telephone out. Without being capable to telephone out, you cannot get help, and little you permission home, and if it’s a existent emergency, you wouldn’t beryllium capable to permission location to spell get the assistance that you need,” Evans said.

Since the astir caller incident, Verizon hired contractors to instal a caller woody station to fasten the net enactment respective feet disconnected the crushed beyond a person’s scope to support the enactment from being chopped again.

Even with the repairs, Evans fears whoever is liable whitethorn effort to onslaught again, and if they do, she worries astir giving her aged begetter the attraction helium needs if the phones aren’t operable.

“He’s 89 years old, and helium does person a batch of wellness conditions, but I whitethorn perchance request to telephone 911, it without being capable to usage the compartment telephone her location phone, I can’t telephone 911,” Evans said.

NBC12 reached retired to the Charles City County sheriff’s office, and they said they are alert of the issue.

“Several incidents person been brought to our attraction and are nether investigation. While we are incapable to talk to the specifics of this progressive investigation, we would similar to reassure the assemblage that we are aggressively moving with work providers successful the country connected preventive measures,” a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said.

In the meantime, LeeAnn hopes her connection makes it large and wide to whoever is doing this.

“I anticipation that they prosecuted to the fullest due to the fact that they shouldn’t beryllium stealing, and they’re putting people’s lives successful jeopardy,” Evans said.

The Sheriff’s Office said it encourages each citizens to beryllium alert of their surroundings and study suspicious enactment if seen. Additionally, if they’re asking anyone with cognition of crimes being committed related to the copper thefts, interaction the Sheriff’s bureau astatine 804-829-9265 oregon Crime Stoppers astatine 804-780-1000.

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