HICKORY, N.C. (News Release) — On October 20, 2025, Deputy J. Betts responded to Hickory Highway regarding the theft of fiber optic and copper wire, which had caused a temporary service disruption in the area.
An AT&T technician reported receiving an alarm for a cell tower outage and discovered a man loading large sections of cable into the trunk of a Toyota Corolla. The technician was able to take a photo of the vehicle before it left the area.
Deputy Betts responded and located approximately 300 feet of fiber optic cable and 300 feet of copper wire, valued at around $4,500. Through further investigation, Deputy Betts identified the vehicle and determined the registered owner to be Afton McKenzie Rash, 43, of Old Fort, North Carolina…