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BY KEITH EPPS
A trail of electrical cords helped explain why a Fredericksburg business had noticed an increase in its electricity usage, police said.
City police spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe said the cords led to three tents in the woods, where three homeless people were using electricity pilfered from Superior Settlement Services.
Joy Williams, 35, Tony Colbert, 40 and Michael Taylor, 21, were all charged with larceny and released on summonses.
Bledsoe said police went to 1810 Stafford Ave. Tuesday morning after receiving a call from the business owner.
The woman reported that she'd noticed that charges on her electric bill were going up, and Tuesday she found an extension cord plugged into an outlet at the rear of the building.
An officer followed the cords into the woods and found a homeless encampment with three tents. Each of the tents had electrical extensions running into them.
It was not clear how long the tent dwellers had been using the electricity or exactly what they were using it for.
The tent occupants were arrested without incident, Bledsoe said, and were advised to pack up their belongings and leave the area.
Another electricity theft case attracted considerable attention earlier this year.
A jury in Stafford County wanted a man to serve 21/2 years in prison for stealing about $80 worth of power from Dominion Virginia Power.
A judge reduced the sentence to six months in jail and the state Court of Appeals reduced it additionally, from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com
