SALT LAKE CITY, UT — A suspect was arrested for allegedly damaging equipment at a power substation in Salt Lake County on Wednesday, resulting in a power outage for more than 800 customers.
According to David Eskelsen of Rocky Mountain Power, the incident occurred at a substation near 1800 South and 3200 West. The suspect reportedly entered the facility before 11 a.m. and began using a metal pole to damage equipment.
According to witnesses, she was screaming about “how the world was no longer safe for her or future children.”
The individual climbed onto a transformer to inflict further damage, prompting a crew to cut power to the substation for safety reasons. The outage affected approximately 830 customers, Eskelsen said.
Salt Lake City police confirmed that the suspect was apprehended and transported to a nearby hospital for a mental health evaluation. The individual’s identity, including age and gender, has not been disclosed.
Power was restored to the affected customers around 1 p.m., according to Rocky Mountain Power.
The incident is under investigation, and authorities have not yet provided additional details about potential charges against the suspect.