Originally Posted by MLBellis (Post 541870)

do not know how true this is....it is worth passing around.....one of my neighbors sent this to me.

SUDDEN POWER LOSS?

Pay attention, I'm serious. My neighbor's entire house electricity went out. In a few minutes a young man was at the door and told her he was working on a house up the street and saw smoke from her outside electrical box. He offered to look at it and to fix whatever was wrong. Luckily she is one of my friends and had the presence of mind to refuse his offer and called me. I checked everything out and found nothing wrong except the master circuit breakers were tripped. I'm not a professional electrician, but I have an electrical degree from the USNA and many years in Navy electrical mishaps.
I concluded that the kid must have been up to something and asked my neighbor to call the police; which she did. She was told that officers would be right out as there had been other complaints just like hers. It turns out this kid has been active throughout the Villages and has dunned several gullible persons out of cash and caused damage by tripping their outside circuit breakers.

Now, If you see, hear or experience anything like this, delay him if possible and get the police out---they want to catch him in the act if they can. If he leaves, see if you can get his license plate number---although he usually parks on another street or down the block.

Originally Posted by mulligan (Post 542072)

It's not just the cover swing on the transformer box, they require 10 feet of clearance to operate the switches. It's a safety thing.

Originally Posted by petenj (Post 542166)

This is happening and CW and Law Enforcement are aware of it.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 542179)

I have read everything written on this thread. I felt it sounded like one of the rumors that get circulated. I have read posts by people I trust saying it is not possible to have this happen unless you left your garage door up or unlocked and then found it was possible on the historic side but preventable in that area if you kept a padlock on it.

I think that I would like to understand more about the particulars of the law officers and the conversation at Outback. I will call the sheriff myself and ask if this is a problem or a rumor. If any of you would like to look up the not emergency number and call them you can and also a good source is the news desk at The Daily Sun. They get reports of rumors that they are checking for accuracy all of the time.

We will find out whether this is fact or fiction.

I do know this...that inaccurate things are typed on this forum all of the time and unless we know for sure we will worry and I do not mean to diminish the OP, he said he received the information in an email. Those emails spread like wildfire.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 542186)

I just called The Villages office of the Sumter County Sheriff's office and spoke to two people, the second being the person at Crimes against Seniors and she said she reads TOTV every day and read this very thread and has not heard anything about this as a real happening from anyone who has been so affected.

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1 (Post 542348)

Gracie, I think it is great that you called the Sumter County Sheriff's Department. If you get a chance, would you call the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Department too. Also, please call the Lady Lake Police Department and see if they've received any such complaints.

Watch out crooks. We've got Gracie on the case. Be afraid. Be very afraid. ;~)

Originally Posted by MLBellis (Post 541996)

I just came back from the Outback... I spoke to two police officers who were there having dinner...they did comfirm this is true... they have caught this guy a few times, but when he gets out he goes back to do it again.... they also said, now his friends are doing it too!