Logan Township police said the men had it well-planned, with a bucket truck, hard hats, vests and harnesses. And according to police, they had been at it long enough to strip the ground wires off at least 50 telephone poles.

Chief Ron Heller said they had been receiving reports of missing ground wires from Penelec and Verizon for weeks, both in Logan and Allegheny townships. But after a campus officer told police he saw the van near Penn State Altoona on Monday, they caught the suspects red-handed.

Police said they would cut the wire from the bottom of the poles, raise the boom, and cut the wires again at the top. They said each of those stolen copper wires is worth about $600. However, the money isn't the biggest problem.

"If a utility worker is on a pole in this area, and there's a power surge, they're not grounded now. So it could cause injury or even death to the utility workers," said Heller.

Police said they're still looking for one more suspect. They're not releasing any of the suspects' names until they finish their investigation and file charges.