(An example of a power box outside a Kaysville apartment complex. Credit: Paul Nelson)
KAYSVILLE – Police say a prank crossed over from annoying into potentially dangerous territory. Investigators say the prank known as “power boxing” has been going on for a very long time, but, a recent case could have seriously hurt someone.
On the surface, “power boxing” might not seem very serious. Teens have been doing it in Kaysville for years, and investigators say all they’re doing is turning of someone’s electricity.
Kaysville Officer Lexi Benson “They’re just going around looking for power boxes and turning it off,” Benson says, adding, “It’s just a bunch of juveniles that think it’s a funny, victim-less prank. But, it’s not victim-less.”
Benson says the juveniles don’t cut the lines or do any long term damage to the equipment, in most cases.
“Some of these victims don’t know what’s going on. They think the power is out. They’re calling the power company,” she says.
However, this prank took a potentially dangerous turn this week. Benson says one man woke up in a panic after he realized his CPAP breathing device had been turned off, without his knowledge.
Benson says “They were using that to breathe, that night, and they were woken up when their CPAP turned off and they weren’t able to breathe.”
Officers in Kaysville are asking parents to sit their kids down and talk to them about the potential problems that could arise with this prank.
She says. “There were two this week in the same neighborhood, but this is a common thing that juveniles do all year-round all throughout Kaysville.”
Investigators have security camera footage of some of the teens, and police are actively searching for them. If they’re caught, they could face criminal mischief charges.