Sprint robbers get high-tech equipment they wanted

Robbers in ski masks who rushed employees at a Sprint telephone company central office stole exactly what they were looking for -- high-tech computerized phone equipment -- officials said today.

"It appears that they took what they went in there for," Metro Police Officer Spokesman Steve Meriwether said regarding the 8 a.m. Sunday theft at the Sprint office on Spring Mountain Road just north of Jones Boulevard.

The robbery, in which a man and women employee were attacked with stun guns and a male phone company contractor was stunned and beaten, left about 75,000 customers in southwest Las Vegas without phone service for much of Sunday morning, Sprint officials said.

"About 90 percent of service was restored by 1:30 p.m. and the rest by about 2:30 p.m.," Sprint spokeswoman Detra Page said. "It appears that they got what they were after. There was no money kept at this location because payments are not made there."

There are 14 Sprint central offices in Las Vegas and three others in surrounding cities, she said. The type of computer equipment that was taken, as well as its value, has not been released.

Metro's robbery detail is conducting an investigation, Meriwether said.

The incident began when a group of robbers, estimated between three and five, rushed the door of the buildings, overpowered the workers, shocked them with stun guns and tied them up, Meriwether said.

Because it happened so quickly, the victims told police they were unsure of the number of thieves.

The man who was beaten was taken to University Medical Center, where he was treated and released, police said.

"This is very unusual -- we've never had anything like this happen before," Page said. "We are in the process of assessing the situation to see if changes need to be made.

"The equipment stolen was high-technology equipment that was in use. (It) may have been stolen to be re-sold, but at this point we don't really know."

Without that equipment, the phone company could not provide residents in southwest Las Vegas and businesses like the Gold Coast and Rio hotel-casinos and Southwest Gas phone service for a good part of the day.

Callers trying to reach Southwest Gas were asked to use the 911 emergency system, so that calls for service or gas-related emergencies could be handled.

Page said that service was restored after equipment was brought in from other central offices and installed at the Spring Mountain Road facility.

Sun Reporter Ed Koch contributed to this report.

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