Woman who climbed Ohio cell tower gets jail sentence

WOOSTER, Ohio (AP) — A woman who was high on drugs when she climbed a 285-foot cell tower and taunted emergency personnel in Northeast Ohio has been sentenced to jail by a judge who says she endangered the lives of would-be rescuers.

The Daily Record reports 29-year-old Jessica McCarty received 180 days in jail Tuesday in Wooster for an inducing panic charge with 90 days suspended if she completes mental health and drug assessments and complies with recommendations afterward.

Judge Timothy VanSickle of Wayne County Municipal Court lectured McCarty for her lack of cooperation with probation authorities responsible for completing a pre-sentence investigation.

McCarty apologized in court to everyone “who put their lives on the line” in late July.

McCarty was spotted by a passer-by and eventually climbed down on her own.