MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Two men who were arrested Friday evening for allegedly stealing metal and cameras from a cell phone tower in Montgomery County are being held without bond.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said Billie Scott Robinson, 58, of Houston, and Edward Garner Schoppe, 43, of Onalaska, are charged with felony theft.
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The pair were arrested after authorities responded to a cell phone tower off FM 1486 at around 11:30 p.m. Friday, March 22.
The sheriff’s office said they received a call that the two men were seen on security cameras stealing metal and cameras from the tower before fleeing the scene in a U-Haul truck.
Deputies from the sheriff’s office, as well as officers with the Magnolia Police Department, were able to track down the vehicle matching the description given and the two were arrested.
The sheriff’s office said Robinson was on parole from TDCJ for multiple criminal charges, including burglary and criminal mischief. Schoppe was also on probation out of Rusk County for possession of a controlled substance.
“Due to their lengthy criminal histories, both Schoppe and Robinson are currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail with no bond,” the sheriff’s office said.
Schoppe and Robinson’s arrest came just hours after a KPRC 2 report on the rising problem of thefts from cell phone towers across the Houston area.