West Austin Neighborhood Group

I thought other neighborhoods might be interested in a recent crime in a
neighborhood adjacent to ours. Certainly you might want to be suspicious if
you saw some late night work being done in your area that didn't look quite
right. The press release is attached, but I am also including the
information in the text of this message for easier reading.

Dawn Leach

Southwood NA

On 10/27/11 Officers of Austin Police Department were called to Radam Circle
regarding a theft of underground power cable. The stolen cable ran the
length of the 1300 through 1400 blocks of Radam Circle in South Austin.
Austin Police, working with "Austin Energy" believe that during the early
morning hours of Sunday, 10/16/11 suspects posing as utility workers stole
power cable worth tens

of thousands of dollars. The suspects drove a large white dual axel work
truck

and wore clothing similar to what Austin Energy workers would use and wear.

The suspects entered through several manhole covers on the street to access

the cable, pulling it from it's foundation.

On the evening of Wednesday, 10/26/11 a resident driving to her home on
Radam Circle observed an explosion and an eventual power outage in the area.
The resident called 911 and was transferred to Austin Energy who responded
to the scene. Austin Energy workers discovered the stolen cables, made
contact with some of the local residents and called Austin Police.
Investigators interviewed several local residents who witnessed the suspects
on Radam Circle, but believed they were city workers. The theft not only
cost the City of Austin hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair, but also
put citizens who live in the area in danger from an electrical fire,
explosion and a power outage.

The suspects are described as:

Suspect #1. Hispanic male, wearing work clothes, headlamp
on his hardhat.

Suspect #2. Hispanic male, wearing work clothes, headlamp on his hardhat.

Suspect #3. Male, driving a large dual axel white heavy
duty work truck.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have information concerning this
incident to contact the Property Interdiction Team of the Austin Police at,
974-4277 or 974-4928.