Essex County Cell Tower Battery Theft; $19K Stolen In Nutley

NUTLEY, NJ — The theft of valuable batteries continues in Essex County. The latest target? A Nutley cell phone tower.

Nutley police recently reported that almost $19,000 worth of batteries were stolen from a AT&T Wireless tower in the township earlier this month. AT&T workers alerted police about the theft on Sept. 13, which they discovered during a routine check of their backup generator for the tower.

The industrial batteries can weigh hundreds of pounds and fetch a high price on the resale market; each of the stolen batteries was valued at $1,200, Nutley police said.

According to police, the batteries are in the boxes to facilitate backup power in the event of a power failure. Removal of the batteries renders the tower inoperable during a loss of power supplied by the electric grid.

Workers stated that there was a similar occurrence at the same location involving stolen batteries in 2016, Nutley police said.

• See related article: 28 Batteries Stolen From ATT Cellular Site In Nutley

Thefts of the heavy batteries are surprisingly common in Essex County. Recent thefts have been reported in Belleville, Millburn, Newark and Cedar Grove.

• See related article: More Cell Tower Batteries Stolen In Essex County
• See related article: Belleville Cops Search For Cell Tower Battery Thieves
• See related article: Essex County Cops Charge Man With Stealing Cell Tower Batteries

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

File Photo: Flickr Commons

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.