Copper wire thieves are disrupting Internet and phone service for thousands in San Joaquin County and costing providers to repair and replace damaged lines.

AT&T has been hit the hardest.

On Thursday, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Community Revisualization Unit arrested two homeless men who are suspected of cutting up the wires in a bid to sell the materials for what is typically pennies on the dollar.

Deputies with the unit, that has been tasked with combatting the growing trend, on Thursday located 49 lengths of 400-pair copper wire cut and staged in a vineyard. The 400-pair wire contains 800 individual wires that must be individually spliced back together to restore phone and internet service when they are cut.

Deputies waited in the area to see if anyone would come collect the wire.

Shortly after 9 p.m., two men drove up to the hidden pile of wires and started loading them into their truck.

That is when deputies arrested 56-year-old Lorenzo Ochoa and 41-year-old Timoteo Aguilar, both transients out of the Stockton area. They were booked on various charges, including conspiracy, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.

AT&T is offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of wire thieves  Call 800-807-4205 to leave a tip.