Copper “grounding pieces” near the bottom of the cell phone tower on Ledge Road were unscrewed and cut from the structure, a Sprint worker told Darien police on Feb. 4.
A fence around the bottom of the tower is supposed to remain locked, but various cell-phone companies can unlock the gate, police were told. The lock is intact and appears not to have been damaged. It was locked when the employee arrived at the site.
The two copper pieces are about a foot long and four inches wide, and they were still there three months ago, according to Sprint. The sections were within reaching distance from the ground, and once inside the fence, anyone could walk up to them.
They were secured to the tower with bolts and nuts. Someone unscrewed them and then cut them from the tower.