Authorities arrested Jared Hayes, 40, Tuesday on charges of first-degree criminal mischief and theft by unlawful taking, according to Graves County Jail records.
His arrest came after utility workers with West Kentucky Rural Electric found a downed power pole while responding Monday to a power outage on Slaughter Road in south Graves County, the West Kentucky Star reported.
Utility employees spoke with Hayes, who lives on Slaughter Road. He admitted to bringing down the electrical pole with an ax and utility workers called sheriff’s deputies, according to the West Kentucky Star.
Graves County man charged with allegedly chopping down electric pole.https://t.co/EzDvXgZ3RI #WPSD pic.twitter.com/ATTP1p0mnG
— WPSD Local 6 (@WPSDLocal6) April 27, 2017
Hayes told deputies that he believed he was allowed to cut down the pole based on its distance from the street, WPSD reported.
“When asked why he was cutting the pole down, Hayes allegedly responded that he was going to take the transformer off the pole and sell it back to the West Kentucky Rural Electric Company,” the news station reported.
Records showed Hayes was released from Graves County jail on $5,000 bond by Thursday morning.
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