Jasper electrical outages caused by criminal mischief

Several businesses, apartment complexes and residences experienced power outages in Jasper early Tuesday morning after an individual switched off breakers to those locations.

According to police, the Jasper Electrical Department responded to multiple reports of power outages and determined the outages were not due to equipment failures but to intentional interference with exterior electrical breaker panels.

Jasper Police were notified and immediately initiated an investigation. They identified Andrew J. Miller, 35, of Jasper, as a suspect and at about 11:00 a.m., officers located Mr. Miller walking along Newton Street. He was detained for questioning, and during the course of the investigation, officers were able to determine that Mr. Miller accessed multiple exterior breaker panels and switched them off as he traveled through the area.

The incidents impacted numerous buildings, including multi-unit residential complexes, local businesses, and government facilities, resulting in temporary disruptions to residents and operations.

Mr. Miller has been charged with Criminal Mischief, a Level 6 Felony. He was transported to and lodged at the Dubois County Security Center.

The Jasper Police Department is working closely with the Jasper Electric Department to assess the full extent of the impact and reinforce measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Anyone with additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Jasper Police Department.  

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.