Today's Doofus is from Minnesota.
An attempted copper theft at an Eagan substation early Wednesday knocked out power for thousands of residents and sent a would-be thief to Regions Hospital.
Eagan police said the 33-year-old suspect from St. Paul suffered severe burns but was in stable condition Wednesday and is expected to survive.
Two other St. Paul residents found near the substation, a 28-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man, were arrested on suspicion of felony criminal damage to property. They were booked at the Eagan Police Department and released.
Joe Miller, a spokesman for Dakota Electric, said the injured suspect scaled a chain-link fence, cut through the barbed wire at the top and then climbed on top of a transformer, where he was injured when he came into contact with a 69,000-volt transmission line.
Witnesses reported seeing a flash of light and hearing a boom at the substation before the power went out at about 12:35 a.m. About 7,100 Dakota Electric customers in western and southwestern Eagan were without power until 3 a.m.
. . .
Eagan police are investigating and working with the Dakota County attorney's office to determine the appropriate charges.
There's more at the link.
'Eagan police are investigating ... appropriate charges'? I'd have thought the would-be thief was 'charged up' enough already!
Peter
...And now the taxpayer gets to fund his (probably extensive) medical treatment, because he was an asshat and didn't have the grace to die in the process.
ReplyDeleteJim
Felony Stupid is normally fatal... this guy is very lucky.
ReplyDeleteUsually, that voltage will only leave residue and a puff of smoke. He may survive, but the damage will be forever.
ReplyDeleteWe had a similar theft of copper last week, on our rapid transit line. They must have been properly equipped, since no crispy critters were found at the scene.
ReplyDeleteAntibubba