Thousands Of Optimum Customers Lose Service After Cables Cut; 2 Charged: Police

NORWALK, CT — A man and woman from North Carolina are accused of cutting thousands of fiber optic lines, resulting in more than 40,000 Optimum customers losing service, according to police.

Jillian Nicole Persons and Austin Keith Geddings were arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, first-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and interfering with police, authorities said. Persons is also charged with making a false statement, according to police, and Geddings is charged with first-degree attempted larceny.

Norwalk officers responded March 24 to a report of cable line damage on Broad Street, according to police, and found over 2,000 lines had been cut.

An investigation led police to issue warrants for Persons and Geddings, authorities said. Law enforcement arrested Persons, 30, after seeing her at a business on Boston Avenue in Bridgeport, police said. They arrested Geddings, 26, in a wooded area near West Avenue in Stratford, according to police.

Both defendants are from Asheville, North Carolina, police said. They are each being held on $200,000 bond with a court date of April 11, according to police.