A Pineville resident is now facing serious charges after authorities allegedly discovered stolen and cut AT&T communication lines in the back of his pickup truck.
Man Arrested After Stolen AT&T Lines Found in His Truck
Officer Patrick Brooks of the Pineville Police Department made the discovery during what began as a routine motorist check on the evening of Saturday, July 19, at approximately 5:50 p.m. He approached a 2010 Ford Ranger on the roadside, where 55-year-old David Gambrel was standing nearby.
Upon closer inspection, Officer Brooks observed what appeared to be several severed AT&T lines stashed in the vehicle’s bed. The officer quickly made the connection — those very lines had earlier been reported to Kentucky State Police as deliberately cut.
Gambrel was immediately taken into custody and transported to the Bell County Detention Center. He now faces a charge of first-degree criminal mischief.
According to the official police citation, Gambrel “intentionally or wantonly damaged, possessed, or tampered with the operation of a key infrastructure asset … in a manner that renders the asset inoperable, in whole or part, or renders the operation of the asset harmful or dangerous.”
The severed cables are understood to be part of the broader AT&T network, a vital component of local and regional communication infrastructure. Disruptions to such systems can not only affect phone and internet services but also emergency response capabilities.
No Explanation Given
As of now, no motive has been provided by Gambrel, and police have not released further information regarding whether others were involved.
Authorities also remain tight-lipped about the total extent of the damage or how many customers were affected by the outage.
The incident has raised concerns over the protection of communication infrastructure in rural Kentucky. With key systems vulnerable to vandalism or theft, local law enforcement is urging the public to report suspicious activity around utility lines or boxes. Gambrel remains in custody as investigations continue.
