A trio of criminals may have caused over half-a-million dollars in damages while stealing just $10,000 worth of copper wire from three industrial transformers at the Augusta Canal Authority off Broad Street, authorities said.
At least one of them, 34-year-old Kayla Nunagaray, is listed as homeless. Suspect Michael Whitfield, 44, was captured, but was hospitalized after being tasered, and 73-year-old Willie Willamson is being sought in the theft.
The brazen theft of 100 feet of cooper wire from industrial transformers at 1576 Broad St. was discovered early Monday when a worker for the Augusta Canal Authority stumbled upon the damage. Copper wiring was stripped away, leaving behind a scene of devastation that could be worth $525,000 in damages.
The theft not only caused financial losses, but also delayed repairs to the three transformers, which were damaged earlier when a demolition team knocked a piece of a building onto some of the Canal Authority’s electrical equipment. Any possibility of repairing them now seems unlikely, according to Tyler Snead, Executive Director for the Augusta Canal Authority.
After the weekend damage and theft, a Canal employee uncovered crucial evidence within the fenced-in area. Two backpacks contained a state ID belonging to Nunagaray, receipts from Augusta Recycling bearing the name of Willie Williamson, and an assortment of wires and cutting tools.
“Those two showed back up (Tuesday) and came one to one of the hydro officers and asked for the backpacks back,” Snead said, leading them to contact the sheriff’s office again.
When the pair realized that officers were there, they tried to flee with Whitfield riding off on a bicycle before being tasered by a deputy. He was later taken to a local hospital.
All three are facing charges of felony theft by taking and criminal damage to property while Whitfield also faces a charge of obstruction.
Meanwhile, three new transformers, vital for restoration efforts, remain hard to get, their acquisition unavailable for nearly two years. Their cost is estimated at $600,000, Snead said.
Despite operating without city assistance for funding for many years, the Authority has faced challenges, particularly in the aftermath of a fire at King Mill two years ago. This year, the City Commission added $148,000 into the budget for the Augusta Canal Authority.
“In December and January, we got King Mill back online and making money,” Snead said. But the recent incident involving a demolition team has caused further disruptions.
“A demolition team knocked a piece of a building onto some of our electrical equipment, causing it to go offline again after two years of repair efforts,” Snead said.
Snead explained that contractors are assessing the damage, but the situation is again complicated by the theft of copper wire and subsequent damage to transformers in the substation. “New transformers are 15-24 months out, and it would cost $600,000 to replace three transformers,” he said, lamenting that a cost-effective option has been taken off the table due to the recent theft.
Snead expressed frustration over the perpetrators’ actions, noting that they had not only stolen valuable materials, but also made the process of restoring operations more complicated. He emphasized the importance of the transformers in the substation for the Authority’s revenue generation. “Without those transformers, the Augusta Canal Authority can’t make any money off the power generated,” he explained.
Despite efforts to secure the premises with chain-linked fences and barbed wire, the perpetrators managed to gain access to the substation.
“We’re not sure how they got the gate open or if it was unbolted,” Snead said.
He confirmed that an insurance claim had been filed for the damages caused by the demolition mishap, but the theft has further complicated the situation.
