WARRICK CO., IN (WFIE) -
Warrick County detectives say they've arrested two men they say travelled across state lines to steal copper from a cell phone tower, and this isn't the only case of copper theft from a cell phone tower in the Tri-State.
Those two individuals are now being called persons of interest in at least two more copper thefts from cell phone towers.
Cell phone service wasn't disrupted to customers, but detectives say it could have made for a dangerous situation if it wasn't for a passerby who called authorities.
"They didn't really know what they were up to, just thought it was pretty suspicious." said Lt. Michael Wilder of the Warrick County Sheriff's Detectives.
Wilder says they got a call Monday from somebody saying two individuals were inside the fenced area of a cell phone tower outside of Lynnville.
"They broke into the fenced area and were caught cutting all the ground wire off that goes to the tower and to the building," Wilder said.
The caller also provided a good vehicle description. Authorities were able to arrest Richard Aubrey and Cory Knight soon after. When they did, they found a trunk full of copper wiring and tools used to cut the metal.
One of the suspects Detectives say confessed to stealing the copper, and driving all the way from Louisville to do so.
"They had become aware of the cell phone tower site through some other work," Wilder said.
Detectives say cell phone towers are targeted because they are often in rural isolated areas.
"When he was in the area working, he saw this site and I guess kept it in the back of his mind. He said he was struggling for money and decided to come back and try to get the copper wiring off this cell phone tower site," Wilder said.
Tuesday, AT&T reported 30-feet of copper wiring stolen from one of their cell phone towers in the same area.
Aubrey and Knight are considered persons of interest in that case as well.
"If there were any type of lightening or electrical storm, different things could I'm sure put down this whole tower without having the ground work, and it could be a very substantial cost if things had happened without them noticing the ground wire had been taken off," Wilder said.
Aubrey and Knight remain at the Warrick County Jail.
Detectives tell 14 News cell phone towers in Dubois and Gibson County have also been targeted.
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Richard Aubrey. Source: Warrick County Jail.
Cory Knight. Source: Warrick County Jail.
