Businesses speak out after homeless man arrested and accused of cutting Midco lines in Fargo

FARGO, ND (Valley News Live) – Businesses along Main Avenue and 25th Street in Fargo are speaking out after a man was arrested on suspicion of cutting wires in cable boxes, knocking out internet and phone service for many people.

According to Forbes, nearly 6 billion people worldwide use the internet. Whether you're scrolling, streaming, or gaming, internet access arguably rules the world, including in a professional sense. Without it, real chaos can ensue.

Timothy Windels, 36, was recently arrested after Fargo police said he was involved in several cases involving cutting fiber optic cables in outdoor cable boxes.

“The Internet is used a lot for business purposes, we use it for a lot of things here,” said Paul Anderson, vice president and owner of Fargo Tire Service, Inc.

Fortunately, Anderson's Main Avenue store was not affected by the cable cut, but surrounding businesses reported being without internet for an entire day.

Valley News Live spoke to employees at OK Tires, also on Main Avenue, who declined to be interviewed but confirmed their internet problems.

Anderson didn't even want to think about Internet problems, because they play a crucial role in his business. “You know, all modern phone systems are Voice over IP, which uses the Internet. To get a credit card authorization, you just need the Internet!” he said.

Many of the affected internet services are operated through Midco, which has not yet responded to our conversation with us. At the Midco office, an employee said this is a good reminder for businesses to maintain a second internet service or make sure they have other backup plans.

It is currently unclear exactly how many companies are affected, but OK Tires confirmed that operations are already back to normal.

Windels, the homeless man suspected of these crimes, faces charges of tampering with public infrastructure and damaging property.

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