Brazen criminals stole a 200-foot radio tower in Alabama, putting a local radio station on standby. According to the New York Post, Walker County radio station staff has no idea how the criminals stole the hefty steel structure. However, WJLX station general manager Brett Elmore expressed hope that someone will give information to assist law enforcement in finding those responsible for the theft. Nonetheless, he expressed shock at what had occurred.
“I have tried all weekend to figure it out, and I just can’t,” Mr Elmore told a local television station. “I have been in the radio business, around it all my life, and then in it professionally for 26 years, and I can say I have never heard of anything like this. I can say I’ve seen it all now,” he added.
landscapers discover missing tower, theft shocks owner
Mr Elmore said he first learned about the theft on Friday when a landscaping crew visited the spot, but the thieves had already cleared out the tower.
“When he arrived, he called me Friday and said, ‘The tower is gone.’ I said, ‘What do you mean the tower is gone? Are you sure you are at the right place?’ you know. He said, ‘The tower is gone. There are wires everywhere, and it is gone,” the station general manager said what one of the staff members told him.
“This hurts a small operation like this, but like I said, I believe we will find out who did this. It is a federal crime and it absolutely will not be worth it to them,” he further told WBTV.
In a Facebook post, Mr Elmore stated that burglars destroyed the tower by cutting the wires that held it together and removed other equipment from the property.
The radio station is currently working with officials to restore the tower. According to the Post, if the criminals are caught, they will face a ten-year prison sentence.
