Fiber Optic Theft Causes Widespread Internet Outages in Inland Empire

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A group of 9 unhoused individuals were arrested in San Bernardino County for stealing approximately 300 feet of fiber optic cable, causing widespread internet and communication outages across the Inland Empire region. The thefts resulted in an estimated $194,000 in damages for AT&T, not including fines and customer paybacks.

Why it matters

Fiber optic cable theft is a growing problem that can have significant impacts on critical infrastructure and public services. The Inland Empire region relies heavily on stable internet and communication networks, and these outages likely disrupted businesses, emergency services, and daily life for many residents.

The details

On Tuesday, investigators with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Rural Crimes Task Force discovered the stolen fiber optic cable near a homeless encampment in the area of 1325 W. Camino Real. This led to the arrest of 9 suspects - 5 men and 4 women - who were charged with various crimes including grand theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy. The suspects were held on $30,000 bail.

• On Tuesday, investigators discovered the stolen fiber optic cable.
• The fiber optic theft caused two days of critical infrastructure communication outages across the Inland Empire region.

What’s next

The suspects will appear in court to answer the charges against them. Authorities are continuing to investigate the full scope of the fiber optic thefts and any potential connections between the suspects.