Thieves risk lives to steal copper wire

Sometime between Monday afternoon and yesterday morning, April 17, 2008, an FPL substation on east SR 206 in the vicinity of the Moses Creek Conservation Area, was burglarized causing about $1,500.00 in damage and resulting in the theft of about $1,000.00 worth of copper wire according to an incident report filed yesterday by Deputy Justin Anderson.

Thieves literally risked their lives, cutting approximately 100’ of unshielded, 250 gauge ground wire from 13 pieces of equipment located inside the fenced substation using what is believed to be a bolt cutter. This led the two FPL linemen who discovered the theft to suspect that the subjects had to “know what they were doing”; because there were similar wires on electrical converters which were “hot”. Those wires would have injured the suspects seriously if they had attempted to cut them.

The compound is well lit and all of the lights were and are functioning however the point of entry was through a section of chain fence that is not visible from the highway.

Evidence of the crime was collected at the scene by Deputy Anderson and it was noted that surveillance camera warnings were visibly posted around the substation.

If you have information about this crime, contact the property crimes unit of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office locally at (904) 824-8304 or Toll Free (800) 346-7596.

Photo credit: Historic City Media news photographer Kerry McGuire