Crime & Safety
More Cell Tower Batteries Disappear In Essex County
Stolen cellular tower batteries – some weighing as much as 119 pounds – have been reported in three Essex County towns.
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Belleville police are searching for whoever stole three dozen utility batteries from a Sprint cellular tower last month.
According to the Belleville Police Department, a Sprint employee told officers on Aug. 30 that the last time the tower was serviced was on Feb. 23, and that the batteries were all accounted for at that time. The value of the batteries was estimated at $6,800, police said.
While unusual, the incident wasn’t the only recent theft of cellular tower batteries in Essex County. In April, 28 batteries weighing about 119 pounds each were reported stolen from the AT&T cellular site in Nutley.
Find out what's happening in Montclairfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- See related article: 28 Batteries Stolen From ATT Cellular Site In Nutley
In March, Cedar Grove police reported that an unknown suspect stole eight backup batteries from the AT&T cellular tower site behind 93 Pompton Avenue.
The value of the batteries was estimated at $4,320, police said.
Find out what's happening in Montclairfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- See related article: $4K Cell Tower Batteries Stolen In Cedar Grove: Police
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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