BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — A Louisa woman faces felony charges after a Martin County grand jury indicted her in connection with damage to telecommunications infrastructure in Pilgrim last fall.

Kassandra Hamilton, 33, was indicted March 5 on charges of first-degree criminal mischief (tampering with key infrastructure assets) and trespass upon key infrastructure.

According to the indictment, Hamilton destroyed, damaged or defaced property owned and operated by Optimum on Emily Creek Road in Pilgrim on Sept. 23, 2025. The financial damage is approximately $9,656.47.

The indictment also alleges Hamilton entered and remained on property where key AT&T infrastructure assets are located and maintained.

According to arrest records, deputies responding the evening of Hamilton’s arrest came upon a truck stuck in the mud in a field off North Wolf Creek Road in Pilgrim. They said Hamilton was attempting to rock the truck free from the muck.

Nearby, the deputies discovered cut telephone lines and a pile of stripped wire. Officers also noticed a utility pole overhead where communication lines had been cut. Remnants of the lines lay scattered in the grass below. They reported finding heaps of cable insulation and approximately 45 feet of copper cable nearby.

In the truck bed, officers found a ladder and a hacksaw, which they said Hamilton used to cut the lines. The police report noted that Hamilton was also carrying a razor-blade knife in her back right pocket.

Hamilton’s bail is $5,000.

If convicted of first-degree criminal mischief, a Class D felony, she faces a possible sentence of one to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. If convicted of the trespass, a Class B misdemeanor, she faces a penalty of up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $250.

Editor’s note: An indictment is an accusation. All individuals are innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.