San Carlos Park man accused of damaging multiple FPL power boxes, leaving 3,500 without power

SAN CARLOS PARK, Fla. —

A man was arrested on Saturday after being accused of damaging multiple Florida Power and Light power boxes in San Carlos Park.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office arrest report, deputies responded to a scene involving a hit-and-run traffic crash. The caller told deputies that a truck had hit a power line and fled the scene.

While canvassing the scene, deputies spoke to a witness who said he was at home when a man approached him, holding a crowbar in his hand.

The man threatened to use it on the witness and was yelling, mentioning rebel soldiers walking the street, attacking the power grid. The witness told deputies the man then walked away.

The man was identified as Tony Moore Jr., 45, who lived nearby, according to the report.

Deputies went to Moore's home and noticed a silver Chevrolet Silverado parked in the grass in front of the home. Deputies noticed an FPL concrete power box lid was sitting in the bed of the truck, the report said.

Deputies located Moore inside the home and detained him.

Deputies continued to canvass the area and located multiple other FPL power boxes that had been damaged or tampered with, including one that looked as if it had been hit with a sledgehammer.

An FPL employee told deputies that the damaged power boxes caused approximately 3,500 customers to lose power, and the total cost of the damage would be over $20,000.

Moore was arrested and faces charges of altering, indexing or breaking the seal of a meter, with damage between $20K-100K.

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