Man shocked stealing power, police find meth lab
BRANCH, OKLAHOMA - A man who was shocked by 7,200 volts of electricity while trying to rig an unmetered power line to his house is hospitalized, and charges are pending for theft and for a methamphetamine lab deputies found in his house.
Franklin County sheriff's deputies said that Roy Donald Achterberg suffered internal injuries from the shock and a 30-foot fall from a ladder. Sheriff's Investigator Robert Limbocker say Achterberg broke his pelvis, neck and some ribs after he plunged 30 feet outside his home in Branch.
Limbocker said the electricity entered Achterberg through a hand and left through one of his feet.
"He's been stealing electricity for a number of years now," Limbocker said.
Achterberg's electricity had been disconnected from his transformer, so he tried to rig a line to the main line, which is when he was shocked, Limbocker said. Oklahoma Gas and Electric disconnected the transformer after repeated theft attempts by Achterberg, Limbocker said.
After the incident, deputies obtained a search warrant for Achterberg's residence and found the apparent meth lab inside, Limbocker said.
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