ARCADIA — Jose Alberto Gante-Gomez, 44, of Los Angeles, was arrested on August 27 in connection with a costly copper wire theft that caused a 9-1-1 phone outage in Arcadia.
Initially booked on suspicion of grand theft and resisting an officer, Gante-Gomez has now been formally charged with receiving stolen property, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.
The 9-1-1 outage occurred at 2:30 a.m. on August 7, disrupting the Arcadia Police Department’s emergency phone lines. Authorities rerouted calls as a temporary solution while investigating the incident.
The theft was traced to the 200 block of South Santa Anita Avenue, where approximately 60 feet of copper wiring was severed and stolen. The estimated cost for the stolen wire and necessary repairs is around $10,000, according to the Arcadia Police Department.
Detectives tracked Gante-Gomez to the 1700 block of Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles. During a traffic stop, he initially complied but then fled on foot. Officers caught him on the 600 block of Rampart Boulevard.
Gante-Gomez is scheduled to appear in court on October 23.
