Police say they arrested five men on Wednesday for stealing electricity to power a southeast Houston homeless encampment.
Workers at a warehouse next door on Canniff Street say that someone had connected a jumper cable to the top of a power pole.
On Thursday, you could still see a power strip hanging from a tree while a ladder sat nearby.
The workers say the theft had been going on for six months.
David Acevedo was among those arrested. He insists the electricity was already connected when he moved into the campsite a little over a month ago.
“I found the power connected over here,” said Acevedo. “It was just a box. It was two outlets and that was it, and they worked so we hooked up to it so we could charge our phones and stuff like that.”
Along with Acevedo, David Gonzales, Rolando Martinez Suarez, Nicholas Graumann, and Eric Lima were charged with criminal mischief, according to court records.
The makeshift electric connection has since been dismantled. Acevedo is bemoaning the lost along with the possessions he says were stolen while he was in jail.
“My electric bike which I paid almost $1,000 for, you know, that’s gone,” he said.
CenterPoint said tampering with electrical equipment poses serious risks for the public and encouraged anyone who witnesses tampering to report it to the police.
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