Police say they arrested five men on Wednesday for stealing electricity to power a southeast Houston homeless encampment.<\/p>\n
Workers at a warehouse next door on Canniff Street say that someone had connected a jumper cable to the top of a power pole.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, you could still see a power strip hanging from a tree while a ladder sat nearby.<\/p>\n
The workers say the theft had been going on for six months.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Along with Acevedo, David Gonzales, Rolando Martinez Suarez, Nicholas Graumann, and Eric Lima were charged with criminal mischief, according to court records.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“My electric bike which I paid almost $1,000 for, you know, that’s gone,” he said.<\/p>\n
CenterPoint said tampering with electrical equipment poses serious risks for the public and encouraged anyone who witnesses tampering to report it to the police.<\/p>\n
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