LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Police arrested a Nevada woman on a charge of theft of public utilities after she allegedly stole electricity from the city of Overton for over three months, according to an arrest report.
On Thursday, May 25, an officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was called to the Overton Power District for a report of theft of utility and electricity, the report stated.
According to the report, a representative with the OPD told police that a resident, identified as Natasha Sanchez, on West Alma Avenue, had bypassed the electric meter and was obtaining electricity illegally.
The report stated an OPD crew had been sent to the house to investigate. When they arrived, they found that someone had tied copper wire around the electric feeder cables at the power panel. The wire stretched from the feeder cable to a breaker in the main breaker panel.
This was able to provide power to the rest of the breakers in the panel and electricity to the house. The panel was also powering a pull camper that was parked in front of the house with a cable wired to the panel and stretched to the camper, the report stated.
When officers arrived at the home, Sanchez gave them permission to look at the electrical panel and take pictures. When officers asked her when it was bypassed, Sanchez told them she “didn’t know it was.”
According to the report, Sanchez then told officers that a man she only knew by the name “Jim” had bypassed the meter. She told police that she did not know Jim’s last name or where he lived. She provided two phone numbers for “Jim” to the officers. Both were disconnected.
The report stated that Sanchez also mentioned a “Dylan” who may have bypassed the meter.
According to the report, Sanchez told officers that she had never been without power.
OPD had turned off the power to the residence on Feb. 16, after a failure to pay for services. According to the report, on April 4, a man came in and paid all of the past due and late fees, totaling $1,854.52.
According to the report, the last payment from Sanchez was received on Jan. 5. A representative with OPD told police that Sanchez attempted to pay in February, but the check was returned.
The report stated that OPD would not reconnect power at the residence because the owner of the home had passed away, and OPD will only reconnect power if the owner or someone with a rental or lease agreement provides paperwork proving so.
According to the report, Sanchez does not have a lease or a rental agreement so OPD will not reconnect power at the residence.
When officers asked Sanchez if she had had a power bill since February, she told them she “didn’t know.” She told officers that her power had gone out and “flickered a few times” before her friend came over and fixed it, the report stated.
According to the report, a representative with the OPD gave officers a cost breakdown for the stolen power and damages including labor and parts involved in disconnecting power at the power pole in an attempt to prevent future attempts to connect illegally.
The cost breakdown totaled $1,987.78, including more than $800 in stolen power, according to the report.
Because Sanchez admitted that she was not paying a monthly electric bill and she had never gone without power, officers believed that Sanchez knew she was obtaining electricity illegally.
Sanchez was arrested on Friday, May 26, for theft of public utilities. She was taken to the Clark County Detention Center.