Theft at Furniture Row leaves store without power over weekend

Furniture Row storefront, St. George, Utah, Aug. 12, 2013 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – When employees and store managers showed up to work at the Furniture Row Shopping Center Saturday they were met with a surprise – no power. Was it a power outage? Not quite. The night before, someone broke into the outdoor electrical box behind the building and stole a number of circuit breakers, cutting power to the entire building.

A notice outside Furniture Row alerting costumers of the store’s lack of power, St. George, Utah, Aug. 12, 2013 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
A notice outside Furniture Row alerting costumers of the store’s loss of power, St. George, Utah, Aug. 12, 2013 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

It was someone who knew what they were doing,” Furniture Row manager Jason Killip said. Whoever took the breakers at least knew enough to turn off the main power first before going after the breakers, he said.

Despite having no power for the day the Furniture Row stores were open for business – even if the only transactions they could conduct were cash-only.

Seven high-end circuit breakers were taken from the function box after it was forced open Friday night, St. George Police Sgt. Sam Despain said. The incident is still under investigation.

We’ve had a few cases like this before,” Despain said, “but it’s not something we see often.”

Killip said Saturday that replacement breakers had been ordered and were being flown in early Sunday, along with an electrician who would handle the installation.

It was confirmed Monday that power has been completely restored to the Furniture Row Shopping Center.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.

Furniture Row storefront, St. George, Utah, Aug. 12, 2013 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
Furniture Row storefront, St. George, Utah, Aug. 12, 2013 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

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10 Comments

  • My Evil Twin August 12, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    Too bad the dirt bag(s) that did this, did not get themselves electrocuted while they were doing it.

    OTOH, I guess it is kind of hard to feel sorry for any furniture company. Them, and used car dealers. . .

  • DoubleTap August 12, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    Check the 20,000 sq. ft. mansions going up valley wide. Just a thought…

    • Ken August 12, 2013 at 3:44 pm

      Are McArthur and Esplin building new castles?

      • Shelter August 12, 2013 at 5:29 pm

        Are they needed for the animal shelter

  • Tyler August 12, 2013 at 3:31 pm

    Weird, I thought it would be a copper theft…circuit breakers?

  • Zeke August 12, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    Earlier this year they did the same thing to some business just a block or so away from there. Gutsy move.

    • San August 12, 2013 at 4:24 pm

      I see nothing gutsy about a coward who steals, in total darkness, when no one is around…this was a wimpy little thug who hides. Let’s not think of him/her/them as anything better.

  • Josh Dalton August 12, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    We already know who is to blame for this….METHHEADS!!!! Crackhead would have atleats taken a couch and the cash. SAY NO TO DRUGS!!! GO FALCONS!

  • Josh Dalton August 12, 2013 at 4:19 pm

    BTW. No that is not my VW in the picture…not a GTI!

  • zeke August 12, 2013 at 7:29 pm

    It’s gutsy to disconnect power in the middle of the night and pull breakers and wires out of buildings. Especially if owners show up and fill you full of lead! Google info on copper thieves. There are pics and stories out there of thieves fried up like bacon from escapades like this.

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