A generator reported missing on May 25 from the city’s communications tower on Castle Alley was taken by mistake by a company that previously leased space on the tower, according to information from the Vicksburg Police Department.

Police Chief Penny Jones said officers were called about 9:55 a.m. on May 25 about a possible stolen generator from the tower site at 799 Bridge St. She said the generator was last seen May 18, when it was checked by city employees.

“We started trying to pull some video footage to try and see if there was somebody going in and out of that area that could have taken the equipment because it is a very large piece of equipment,” she said.

Jones said the investigation found that cellular phone companies Sprint and T-Mobile merged and technicians for Crown Castle Networks Operations Center, which works with Sprint and T-Mobile, removed the generator while removing communications equipment from the tower and took it to another site.

She said the workers did not know the generator was the city’s and took it.

“They had no reason to notify us because they did not know it belonged to us,” she said.

Jones said the city is leasing a generator until Crown Castle’s technicians return and connect the generator.