ELKTON, Md. — A handful of homeowners in Cecil County were without internet and phone service for nearly a month due to a Verizon outage caused by copper thieves.
Steven Wohner and his wife suddenly found themselves digitally stranded on May 9.
"My wife informed me that we had no phone service and internet service," Wohner said.
After multiple calls to Verizon customer service, the Wohners were still left in the dark about when their service would be restored.
"Nobody calls, nobody shows up. I make phone calls three times, four times that week to Verizon customer service to try to find what's going on," Wohner said.
The outage significantly impacted their daily lives, preventing them from making doctor's appointments and paying bills online. It also created safety concerns for the rural residents.
"We're like dinosaurs because we have a landline. Most people don't have landlines anymore, but out here in the country, you're kind of limited with your internet service," Wohner said. "We've relied on phone service all of our lives out here, and we have one cell phone, and I need that cell phone for work."
Wohner contacted WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii and she reached out to Verizon. Sofastaii learned the outage was due to theft of copper wire, affecting a handful of customers in the Elkton area. Verizon said they were working on an immediate temporary solution.
The very next day, Verizon sent crews to the area. Within minutes of their arrival, the Wohners' service was restored after nearly a month of being disconnected.
"Here's a Verizon truck. Wow," Wohner remarked when the technicians arrived.
This isn't the first time copper thieves have targeted Verizon's equipment in Cecil County. In December, just a few miles away, thieves caused $50,000 in damage when they attempted to steal and sell Verizon's copper lines.
"Our officers responded up, they found two guys up there with a trash can with copper wiring in it," said Lt. Ronald Odom with the Elkton Police Department.
The suspects tried to flee during questioning but were detained and charged, according to the police incident report. And while that was the last copper theft case investigated by Elkton Police, Maryland State Police (MSP) are actively investigating 40 copper wire theft cases in Cecil County since June 2024.
WMAR-2 News asked MSP how the number of theft cases compares to years prior, this article will be updated with their response.
"When they take it to scrap yards, they weigh it, and based upon that total weight is how much money they can get," Odom said. "The folks perpetrating this do not care about the consequences for other people in their thought process."
A Verizon spokesperson emphasized the seriousness of these crimes: "The theft of copper cable is not just illegal; it's dangerous. When customers are disconnected from their phones or internet service, their lives are potentially in jeopardy. These criminal acts can cause significant service delays and public safety concerns for Verizon customers."
Wohner hopes they won't have to experience this frustration again.
"You never used to have [internet], now you rely on it. And when it's taken away, you miss it more," Wohner told Sofastaii. "You were kind of our last resort, let's put it that way, and you came through. And I really appreciate it, and you're fantastic."
To see nationwide scrap metal theft alerts, click here. ScrapTheftAlert.com is a tool used by law enforcement to alert the scrap industry of significant thefts of materials in the United States and Canada.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.