Authorities in Connecticut confirmed the arrest of two people they say cut 2,000-plus fiber optic cables, leaving more than 40,000 homes and businesses without internet service in the southwestern part of the state.
Jillian Persons and Austin Geddings, both from Ashville, NC, were arrested Saturday thanks to a surveillance operation. They face charges of larceny and criminal mischief crimes, as well as interfering with police.
Persons is also accused of giving a false statement to police, ABC News reported.
Both were detained on $200,000 bail.
Police were called to a report of damaged Optimum cables on March 24 in Norwalk and quickly identified the suspects and their vehicle. However, they did not disclose how they made the identifications.
Officers arrested Persons while staking out a business in Bridgeport. Geddings was apprehended shortly after, police said Sunday.
Both are scheduled to appear in court on April 11.
The internet outages have since been restored.
