In a brazen daylight heist, a wire thief in Richmond has been caught slicing through telephone lines, landing himself a felony theft charge and a quick trip to the clink. According to a post on the Richmond Police Department's Facebook, officers responded to a report earlier this week of a wire theft in progress on the 1200 block of Castro Ranch Rd.

The suspect had the bright idea to chop down telephone wires with no cover of darkness to aid him, a blunder that resulted in an easy collar by law enforcement. An illegally parked vehicle was discovered nearby, packed with stolen wire and the tools used to carry out the theft. "Officers located stolen wire and tools used to steal wire in suspect's illegally parked vehicle," the Richmond Police Department stated.

RPD threw the book at the thief, sending him to jail on felony theft charges after AT&T estimated that over $20,000.00 in damage had been done to the phone lines. The theft caused financial damage and wreaked havoc on the community's telephone and internet access, a critical point of infrastructure that keeps society tethered to emergency services and each other.

Police urge the public to keep their eyes peeled and report any fishy activity. "Help us catch these criminals by reporting any suspicious subjects you see loitering or acting strangely near our utilities," pleaded the RPD. Anyone with information can dial RPD dispatch at 510-233-1214 to report suspected wire thieves.