When a crime left hundreds of Anne Arundel County residents in the dark, it put the spotlight on the suspects.
Four people stole copper wire from a BGE utility pole in Odenton, Md., causing a power outage that affected more than 1,700 homes and businesses, according to Anne Arundel County police.
Officers saw a vehicle leaving the scene of the theft along Annapolis Road after midnight and arrested the four people inside, police said. Officers found stolen copper wiring and burglary tools.
BGE estimated 250 feet of copper wiring was stolen, according to police.
Easy access to the wire makes it a popular target for thieves, police said, but usually they stick to negative wires not carrying power.
“They're getting about $3 a pound for the copper and then they’re going out and using that money to support their drug habit,” Anne Arundel County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. “It's unfortunately that simple but it’s something that’s plaguing the region.”
Using bolt cutters and tree trimmers, these suspects hit a live wire.
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“Lights start flickering, come back on, lights flicker again – boom, we’re out of power,” said Kristos Miliotos, owner of Perry’s, where customers were watching the Thursday night NFL game. “We scrambled. We got the lanterns. We got the flashlights.”
At an assisted living facility, nurses went room to room to check on patients.
Miliotos wasn’t surprised copper thieves caused the outage.
“My parking lot lights, they tear up the wire here and steal it from me,” he said. “We don’t notice until one day the outdoor lights don’t work and we go locate it and we see it’s chopped. So it doesn’t surprise me. It angers me, and I’m glad they’re caught.”
The outage was resolved in about an hour.
Jason Tomlinson, 29, of Clinton; Jim Nichols, 32, of Odenton; Michael Spenard, 24, of Suitland; and Melissa Howell, 27, of Waldorf, are charged with theft under $1,000 and malicious destruction of property. Tomlinson also was charged with identity theft and false statement to an officer and was served on an open warrant for probation violation. Nichols, the driver, was charged with several traffic charges, including driving while suspended.
