Brookhaven police say an early Wednesday discovery of an unoccupied U-Haul packed with cut AT&T communications cable has cracked open a months-long theft probe along the Northeast Expressway corridor. Officers recovered roughly 119 sections of reduced cable along with tools at the scene, and detectives later identified a suspect they believe is tied to a string of similar thefts. Warrants for criminal damage to property and criminal attempt to commit theft by taking have been issued as investigators try to track where all that cable was headed.
Truck found at apartment complex turn lane
An officer spotted the U-Haul stopped in the turn lane leading from the upper parking-deck entrance of an apartment complex onto the Northeast Expressway, between Clairmont Road and Briarwood Road. The truck’s lights were off, the engine was running and the doors were unlocked when police arrived. Officers say they found communications cables that had been cut from overhead utility lines and chopped into smaller lengths on the sidewalk and inside the cargo area, along with tools commonly associated with cable theft. In total, 119 cable sections were recovered, according to WSB-TV.
AT&T says losses top $500,000
An AT&T representative confirmed the cables belonged to the company and told investigators that thefts along the DeKalb County side of the Northeast Expressway have added up to about $500,000 over the past six months, as reported by WSB Radio. Stealing telecom cables can knock out phone and internet service and force crews into lengthy splice work and full replacements. A similar incident earlier this year left parts of Dunwoody without service, Rough Draft Atlanta reported.
Detectives name suspect and share description
Investigators have identified 36-year-old Michael A. McKay as a suspect and obtained arrest warrants charging him with criminal damage to property and criminal attempt to commit theft by taking. McKay is described as about six feet two inches tall and 170 pounds and is known to wear his hair either in cornrows or in a full afro, officials said. The investigation remains active, according to WSB-TV.
Why cable thefts are on the rise
Beyond repair bills, stealing copper and other telecom materials can put public safety at risk by cutting emergency lines, darkening streetlights and disrupting broadband for homes and businesses. Lawmakers and utilities across the country have responded with new rules and tougher enforcement as incidents climb, including state crackdowns aimed at stopping the resale of stolen wire. Reporting shows thousands of theft-related outages and disruptions in recent years, as noted by Axios. Related felony cases have surfaced in other jurisdictions, including an Indianapolis case involving an AT&T copper wire theft scheme that investigators say caused wide outages.
Legal notes
The Brookhaven warrants charge McKay with criminal damage to property and criminal attempt to commit theft by taking. Local prosecutors will decide the next steps if he is found and arrested. Police say evidence collected from the U-Haul remains part of an active investigation and that they are continuing to pursue leads, according to WSB Radio.
How to report tips
Anyone with information on McKay’s whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at 404-577-8477, submit a tip online at StopCrimeATL.org, or text "CSGA" to 738477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if their information leads to an arrest.
