About 14,000 customers were affected after substations in Tacoma were vandalized by thieves

CNN
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About 14,000 customers in Puyallup and Graham, Wash., were affected Sunday after thieves vandalized three substations belonging to Tacoma Public Utilities and Puget Sound Energy, police said.

No suspects are currently in custody, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department added in a statement Sunday.

The sheriff’s department said their agency first received a report of a burglary at the Tacoma utility substation at 5:26 a.m. PT.

“Deputies arrived on scene and saw that there was forced entry into the fenced area,” the statement said. “Nothing was taken from the substation, but the suspect vandalized equipment causing a power outage in the area.”

A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy was alerted to a report of a second burglary at another Tacoma Public Utilities substation that also had a forced entry with equipment damage, the statement said. Like the first substation, nothing was taken.

“At 11:25 we were notified by Puget Sound Energy that they also had a power outage this morning at 02:39 am. Deputies are currently on scene at this facility where the fenced area was broken into and equipment was vandalized,” the statement continued.

“Deputies are currently conducting the initial investigation. We have no suspects in custody. It is unknown if there is a motive or if this is a coordinated attack on power systems,” the statement said.

The FBI’s Seattle division told CNN on Sunday it was aware of the reports, but declined to confirm or deny its role in any investigation, adding: “We take threats against our infrastructure seriously and urge anyone with information to to contact law enforcement.”

The city of Puyallup is located 10 miles south of Tacoma. Graham is located 16 miles south of Tacoma.