Times reporter foils July 4th AT&T robbery

Reporter jokes that West Memphians may need to consider boobytraps

By A TIMES STAFF REPORT

www.theeveningtimes.com

Working late even on holidays, as reporters are tend to do, Times reporter Donald Wilburn foiled an attempted robbery of the AT& T Central Hub located at 115 W Oliver St in the late hours of July 4th.

Hearing strange noises behind the office, Wilburn opened the second story window to hear only voices below as it was too dark to see. Fearing someone was trying to break into the first floor offices Wilburn yelled out that he had called the police and then immediately heard two sets of footsteps running away in the darkness.

Wilburn then went outside to investigate the area finding several power tools, fiber optic cables, large compressor tanks and other items that had apparently been abandoned mid-heist. He also found where a 4ft tall hole had been cut into the fence joining the properties as well as bolt cutters.

He then called the police who promptly arrived with two units, Officers Presley and Robertson, who took his report and because they were unable to make contact with the property owners, stayed to guard the

See FOILED, page A3

Police arrived to find thousands of dollars of equipment abandoned mid-heist.

Photo by Don Wilburn FOILED

From page A1

thousands of dollars worth of equipment until contact could can be made.

However, it may have all been in vain. Shortly after the foiled robbery it began to rain heavily and employees of the hub said some of the equipment may have suffered severe water damage.

Of the event Wilburn said, “My home was robbed pretty much every other week when I lived in Brazil. So I know what it sounds like when someone comes through a fence. Police don’t respond very fast there so eventually my home looked like the kid’s from Home Alone with all the booby traps I set up. I’m thinking we might need to start doing the same thing here.”

Wilburn later clarified that he said the last part half jokingly.

Photos by Don Wilburn

TOP: A large hole was cut into the fence between the properties. BOTTOM: The rain shortly after may have ruined some of the tools that were to be stolen.