Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of AT&T copper wire from James Chapel Road North, according to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.
LPSO burglary detectives began investigating Aug. 19 after copper wire was reportedly stolen from the area Aug. 17 and 18. Sheriff Jason Ard said the theft and resulting damage totaled approximately $10,000.
Detectives identified Emile Joseph Cardinale and Vincent Bonura as suspects, Ard said. With assistance from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, detectives located the men and executed a search warrant at their residence on Adam Road in Hammond.
“Detectives linked the two to the thefts,” Ard said. “They found stolen wire in their possession. Detectives located several pounds of burned AT&T wire on the property and the tools that were used to cut the wire.”
Cardinale and Bonura were booked as fugitives in Tangipahoa Parish on two counts each of felony theft and felony damage to critical infrastructure. Additional charges are pending in Livingston Parish, according to LPSO.
The investigation remains ongoing.
