JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio — After more than 2,000 people in the Steubenville/Wintersville area were left without power on Tuesday morning due to theft and vandalism at a substation, authorities are asking for your help.

AEP Ohio officials initially responded to the Fernwood Road substation, where they discovered damage and missing equipment, requiring them to shut down power to the plant to safely replace critical components.

The power outage caused disruptions to the operations of residents, businesses and traffic lights.

“We had reported that the lights were out due to the power outage in the area, so we sent officers over. Me and a couple of other guys went to diagnose the problem with the failed battery backup system,” said Jason Fabian, Captain of the Wintersville Police Department.

“We were able to get the backup battery system back up and running and get everything working as intended again. We had officers at the intersection to make sure everyone got through safely.”

According to AEP Ohio, it is not yet known who is responsible for the vandalism or theft, nor is it known when it occurred.

The repairs, for which the workers had to first disconnect the power supply, were expected to take three hours to complete. The community’s power supply should then be fully restored by midday.

The initial response was for Wintersville Police to take extra precautions and work to maintain safety along Main Street during one of the busiest times of the day.

“It’s very important at this time of day,” said Fabian. “There’s a lot of traffic, a lot of business, a lot of people out and about, and we want to ensure their safety.”

If you have any information about the incident, please contact local law enforcement or AEP Ohio Security at (866) 747-5845.