Two men were charged this morning with trying to steal power lines in Somerset County, causing a power outage and injuring both of them.
Daniel Jay Basinger, 24, of Confluence, and Kevin Lee Lytle, 27, of Pittsburgh, were charged with attempted theft and criminal mischief.
State police in Somerset said Basinger and Lytle tried to steal wire attached to a transformer and adjacent poles along Humbert Road in Lower Turkeyfoot Township just after noon May 3. The equipment is owned by Penelec Power Company.
Both were shocked by an electrical charge during the attempted theft, police said. They fled the scene , but were later driven to Somerset Hospital for treatment.
Police said a power outage affected residences in the area for about five hours and caused $1,500 in damage to the power lines.
Basinger was arraigned by District Judge Sandra Stevanus this morning and released on unsecured bond. Lytle is still recovering from his injuries and has not yet been arraigned , police said.
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