Kent Police seek tips, clues to find Comcast cable line vandals

Kent Police are trying to track down leads to find the person or people responsible for cutting Comcast cable lines that impacted thousands of customers on Thursday, Nov. 30.

“I can confirm that the damaged lines were located on the East Hill of Kent and it is apparent that it was an intentional act by an unknown suspect(s),” Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla said in a Nov. 30 email.

Comcast/Xfinity reported the outage early in the morning and posted on its website that customers might not have service for internet, TV and phones restored until 8 or 9 p.m. Thursday night.

“We take these cases seriously,” Padilla said. “We understand that the interruption of internet service is more than just an inconvenience. There are vital services dependent on internet service, not the least of which is the ability for many Kent residence to work from home.

“This incident is being referred to our Detectives Unit. They will conduct a thorough investigation, including canvassing the area for witnesses, checking for video, and following up on any potential leads. If we can identify the person(s) responsible we will do all we can to bring them to justice.”

Padilla said he didn’t have hard data about how often this is a problem in Kent, but recalled a recent incident.

“I am aware of one prior instance earlier this year,” he said. “Wire theft caused an internet outage in Kent for several days in some neighborhoods.”

Padilla said in many cases the copper wire is sold to scrap metal companies.

The chief asked for the community’s assistance to help solve this crime. Anyone with information can call the Kent PD Tip Line 253-856-5808 or email KPDTipline@kentwa.gov.