JACKSONVILLE, Ark. (KATV) — Jacksonville police have charged 5 people following a cable theft investigation.
The department, in a social media post, said that officers were called to a reported theft near area of South First Street just before 7 Thursday morning. After arriving on scene, authorities found cut cable and a damaged utility poll.
Officers then saw fresh drag marks that led them into a nearby wooded area where they found a campsite and detained 5 people, the post reveals.
Law enforcement recovered burnt wire, exposed wire and discarded cable casing from the campsite and surrounding area. A Brightspeed employee identified the recovered cable as company property, and estimated the damage to the cable and utility poll at around $35,000.
Michael Shrubs, Jerry Rogers and Christina Parnell are all facing multiple charges including:
Theft of Scrap MetalUnauthorized Use of Another’s Property to Facilitate Certain CrimesCriminal MischiefDamaging Wires and Other Fixtures of Telephone, Cable, and Electric CompaniesTampering with EvidencePossessing Instruments of a Crime
Shrubs was also charged with possession of a schedule I or II substance. All three are being held at the Pulaski County Jail.
Kevin Johnson and Bryan George were both cited for criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia and released.