Man Arrested After Copper Theft Attempt at Macon AT&T Tower

Macon, GA — A Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrested a suspect after interrupting an attempted copper theft at a cellular tower site Saturday morning.

The incident was reported to the Macon-Bibb Emergency 911 Center at approximately 9:02 a.m. on March 7, 2026, at a fenced AT&T tower location in the 4700 block of Hawaiian Village Drive.

Witnesses reported seeing two men cutting copper wire at the site. When a deputy arrived, he approached the fenced area on foot and heard hammering along with two men talking inside the enclosure.

Authorities said one suspect, described as a Black male wearing a purple jacket, noticed the deputy and immediately fled on foot into a nearby wooded area.

The second suspect attempted to run but was quickly apprehended after the deputy deployed a Taser. Investigators later found several copper wires at the site that had been cut open.

The suspect was identified as 43-year-old James Michael Costlow of Forsyth, Georgia. Officials said Costlow was also wanted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Centerville Police Department.

Costlow was taken to a local medical facility for treatment of a minor injury before being transported to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center.

He has been charged with felony first-degree burglary and misdemeanor willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Costlow is currently being held without bond.

The case remains under investigation by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, and additional charges may be filed.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500 or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.