Man accused of taking copper wire from Travis cell phone tower

Officials said the December incident cut off cell phone coverage for miles.

By Miguel Liscano
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, January 04, 2008

Authorities have arrested a man who they say stole about 100 yards of copper wire from a cell phone tower in southeastern Travis County last month. The incident shut down cell phone coverage within four to eight miles of the tower for about four hours, officials said.

Police in Groves, north of Port Arthur, arrested Matthew John Horvatich on Thursday, Travis County sheriff's Detective Sidney Parker said. Horvatich was being sought on a third-degree felony criminal mischief charge related to the Dec. 10 incident in Travis County. Bail was set at $30,000.

The missing copper wire is worth $6,000 to $8,000, Parker said.

Horvatich is accused of causing at least $80,000 in damage to a cell phone tower on Gilbert Road near FM 973, where investigators say he cut through a chain-link fence and removed the wire, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Sheriff's deputies were called after a T-Mobile technician responding to a power outage at the tower found someone inside the fenced area, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Parker said Horvatich probably used bolt cutters wrapped in electrical tape to cut a 100-kilowatt line that powers the tower, which is used by at least one other provider.

Investigators found bolt cutters in an abandoned van across the street from the tower, Parker said.

"That's the type of electricity that blows body parts off," Parker said. "But if you knew what you were doing, you could probably do it with some safety."

In the past, thieves have taken copper from construction sites, utility poles or air-conditioning units to sell as scrap metal. Parker said copper sells for about $3.50 a pound.

Parker said he's heard of other cell phone towers being vandalized in rural Travis County but said most of those incidents were not reported to police.

The Dec. 10 incident is the most serious known locally, he said.

Across the state and nation, there's been an increase in the theft of copper from cell phone towers, T-Mobile spokeswoman Ann Brooks said.

"Our sites are vandalized frequently," she said.

"Within the last 18 to 24 months, it's become a real issue."

mliscano@statesman.com; 445-3629