ORANGE, Texas — A man from Orange is facing felony charges after he allegedly caused damage that disrupted a public utility.
It happened on Saturday, February 12. Orange Police officers responded to a call about a man stealing telephone cable from utility poles located near the intersection of Meeks Drive and Allie Payne Road.
Upon arrival, responding officers found Clifford Byron Stephenson, 43, of Orange, running from the area, according to an Orange Police Department release. Stephenson was arrested and charged with felony theft and felony criminal mischief after further investigation.
The theft involved two spans of cable that stretched three utility poles. An AT&T representative said a span of cable that stretches from pole to pole costs about $2000, according to the release.
The cables involved in the theft were active and provided telephone and internet service to area homes.
Orange Police said the theft of cables from utility poles has been an ongoing problem in the Greater Orange area.
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From a full Orange Police Department release:
On Saturday February 12, 2022, the Orange Police Department responded to the report of a man stealing telephone cable from the utility poles near the intersection of Meeks Drive and Allie Payne Road.
Officers arrived to find Clifford Byron Stephenson, a forty-two-year-old white male from Orange, Texas, running from the area. Further investigation led to Clifford Stephenson being arrested and charged with Felony Theft based on the value of the cable stolen and Felony Criminal Mischief for causing damage that disrupted a public utility.
An AT&T representative valued a span of the telephone cable, stretching from utility pole to utility pole at $2000. This theft involved two spans of cable that stretched three utility poles. The cables involved were active and provided both telephone and internet service to homes in the area.
The theft of communications cabling from utility poles has been an ongoing problem in the Greater Orange Area.
If you have information about a crime you could earn a cash reward of up to $1000 by providing an ANONYMOUS tip to Crime Stoppers of Southeast Texas.
Call 833-TIPS (8477) or download the P3Tips App on your mobile device to submit your tip anonymously.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
