LONOKE COUNTY, AR – Two people have been arrested in a cemetery after evidence from a cell tower wiring theft was found in their vehicle.
That’s according to the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) in a news release issued Friday.
Jeffery McFarlin, 32, of Little Rock and Amber Bright, 31, of Jacksonville were taken into custody on Thursday morning.
The LCSO says the theft suspects were found sitting inside a truck at the Confederate Cemetery (Rye Drive and Cherry Road) when deputies followed up on a complaint of a suspicious vehicle parked there. The concerned caller also mentioned past thefts in the area.
As Sheriff John Staley and Deputy David Dillon were talking to the pair, they reported seeing several strands of wiring in the bed of the truck that appeared to have a telephone symbol on it. After further investigation it was learned that the wiring had come from a Verizon cell tower site on State Highway 294 and had been taken the previous night.
The news release states that LCSO investigators then spoke with a Verizon worker at the cell site who was unaware of the theft at that time. After an inspection, damage totaling about $10,000 was found. At the time of report it was unknown what it would cost to replace the wiring but it was expected to be more than $5,000.
McFarlin and Bright have been charged with felony theft of property, felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor criminal trespassing. The LCSO says Bright was also arrested on numerous outstanding warrants from several agencies.
Sheriff Staley stated that he wants the citizens to know that he and his team are working hard for them and that the few that decide to do crimes in this county will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, the release said.
