September 3rd, 2020

Tucson, Ariz. – Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are urging local residents to report any shooting or other suspicious activity around electrical equipment after the recent discovery of bullet damage to transmission structures on Tucson’s southeast side.

The Tucson Police Department, Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are investigating damage to several transmission towers southeast of South Houghton Road and Interstate 10. Damage likely caused by gunshots has also been discovered on power lines southeast of South Rita Road and Interstate 10.

Vandalizing TEP’s electrical equipment can cause power outages, require costly repairs and lead to serious physical injury or death. Each incident of tampering could constitute a felony charge, including federal charges for damaging interstate transmission lines.

Anyone with information about this damage is encouraged to contact the FBI Phoenix Field Office at (623) 466-1999 or online at tips.fbi.gov.

TEP provides safe, reliable electric service to approximately 432,000 customers in Southern Arizona. For more information, visit tep.com. TEP and its parent company, UNS Energy, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc., which owns utilities that serve more than 3 million customers across Canada and in the United States and the Caribbean. For more information, visit fortisinc.com.

News Media Contact
Joseph Barrios
520-884-3725
jbarrios@tep.com