Man arrested after fire, break-in at cellphone tower in Myrtle Beach, cops say

Police discovered a fire set on a generator when investigating a break-in around a T-Mobile cellphone tower in Myrtle Beach late Tuesday night.

Officers went to 1455 Cannon Road just before midnight to check out a call about a suspicious man in the area. While on the way, police learned a man was seen inside a fenced space, cutting locks and wires, an incident report says.

An employee told police he saw someone near the generator, then officers heard him shouting “fire” as they were checking the area for a suspect.

Police saw some sort of canister sitting in the generator burning, and firefighters were called to the scene, according to the report.

As officers continued to comb the area, they said they discovered a backpack with a flashlight, water bottles, and empty packs of campfire starters scattered around it. A hole was also cut in the fence line close to the bag, officers noted.

Other officers found a 26-year-old man and arrested him in connection with the incident. Police said they found bolt cutters on him during a search.

Capt. Joey Crosby with Myrtle Beach police said officers are seeking warrants in the case.

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Man arrested after fire, break-in at cellphone tower in Myrtle Beach, cops say."