Vandalism cuts power to traffic signals at Modesto intersections, police report
Signal lights at a few major intersections in Modesto were without power for about three hours Thursday morning, the result of vandalism to a Modesto Irrigation District facility.
On its Facebook page, the Police Department said traffic lights were out at:
- West Orangeburg at Tully, Kearney and Carver Road
- West Briggsmore at Mt. Vernon, Carver and Sisk
- Mt. Vernon at Prescott
MID spokeswoman Melissa Williams said the vandalism was to the electrical substation at Prescott Road and Briggsmore Avenue. It caused a power outage in the surrounding area around 4:45 a.m.
A passerby saw sparks coming from something at the substation and called 911, police spokeswoman Sharon Bear said.
The vandal climbed over the fence surrounding the substation, putting protective cardboard over the razor or barbed wire atop the fence, she said. Once inside, the person broke a window to gain access to a secured building, Bear said, and damaged circuit boards and other equipment inside and outside the building.
There is no information to indicate the vandal was injured, said Bear, adding that MID is estimating the damage at $50,000.
“We’re still assessing damages, but initial inspection shows damage to a substation transformer, some control instruments, gauges and wiring,” Williams said in an email to The Bee. “Our substations are alarmed and under surveillance and we’re sharing information and working with the Modesto Police Department in an investigation. We encourage anyone that may have related information or additional surveillance to please contact the police.”
Tipsters also may contact Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips also can be submitted via www.stancrimetips.org.
“Our crews worked all morning to safely restore power as quickly as possible,” Williams said in an email to The Bee. “As we’re still investigating the situation, I don’t have the number of customers initially affected, however we restored power to all by 7:50 a.m.”
She also noted that MID crews on Thursday morning were working to restore power lost during an unrelated outage in the Waterford area.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 7:21 AM.
