The State : Theft Suspect Disconnected

An Ohio man, who authorities say earned the nickname “The Telephone Bandit” by looting more than $500,000 from pay phones around the country, has been arrested in Buena Park. James Clark, 49, surrendered peacefully to FBI agents Friday. His activities were featured twice on the syndicated TV show “America’s Most Wanted,” which reenacts real, unsolved crimes. However, his arrest was not related to publicity from the show but rather the result of a “solid, detailed investigation,” Lawrence G. Lawler, head of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, said. Clark reportedly concentrated his effort on phones at major sporting events or other events that drew large crowds, where coin boxes would be full and he could go unnoticed, FBI officials said. Authorities would not say how they found Clark or how long he had been in Buena Park. He is being held at Terminal Island Federal Prison on charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and is expected to be extradited to Ohio.