According to a public information release, troopers responded to the area of Old Route 209 between Piersol Street and Mining Road after receiving a report that approximately 1,200 feet of copper wire had been stolen from Verizon lines. The theft was reported around 9:59 p.m. on June 7, though police said the incident is believed to have occurred sometime between 6 p.m. on June 5 and the evening of June 7.
State Police said the theft caused a communication outage that was reported over the weekend.
The latest incident comes less than two weeks after another wire theft was reported along Old Route 209 in Schuylkill Township. In that case, troopers said 1,060 feet of 300-pair, 19-gauge wire valued at approximately $12,300 had been removed from a pole line. That theft was discovered on May 26, and investigators were unable to determine exactly when it occurred.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding the latest theft is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Frackville barracks at 570-874-5300 and reference incident number PA2026-745744. Information regarding the earlier case can be provided under incident number PA2026-685124.