KING

LEWIS COUNTY, Wash. – Detectives have made more arrests in a PUD wire theft ring that left many residents without power.

A task force from the Lewis County Sheriff's Office has arrested 35-year-old Daniel McEwen, of Selah, and Brian Bradley, of Winlock. Both were booked into jail on counts of theft and trafficking of stolen property.

Detectives believe they were operating in connection with three other suspects arrested last week.

Police say say 65 cases of PUD wire theft have been reported since January of 2008, and they have solved almost all the thefts with the arrest of the five suspects.

The public is asked to report any suspicious activity or downed wire around utility poles to 9-1-1. Rewards are being offered from Crimes Stoppers for information leading to the conviction of thieves taking PUD copper wire.

"The task force did an outstanding job of following the few leads we came across in grinding this case out leading to the arrests all of the major suspects involved in this wire theft ring," said Sheriff Steve Mansfield, in a press release. "Since the original arrests on the 9th there have been no reports of any further Lewis County PUD wire theft. The task force will continue to aggressively monitor the metal theft situation."