Authorities say a familiar excuse didn’t hold up Sunday afternoon when deputies responded to a business alarm at a North Carolina 260-foot self-supporting tower site, pictured above, owned by SBA Communications along Highway 62.
According to the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived at the site and found Joseph Taylor Glassford, 37, of Burlington, in a truck backed up to an open gate. Glassford allegedly told deputies he had been dispatched by a vendor to investigate the alarm — a claim law enforcement officials say is commonly made in unauthorized site access cases.
When deputies requested credentials, Glassford was unable to produce any documentation. He instead provided the name of an individual he claimed to work for. Investigators contacted that person, who told authorities Glassford had not been employed by the company for more than a year.
Deputies subsequently arrested Glassford and transported him to the Alamance County Detention Center. Authorities remained on site while a representative for the tower operator inspected the facility for possible damage. Officials reported that no service interruption occurred.
Glassford was charged with one count of felony breaking and entering and was issued a $5,000 secured bond.
