Two suspected thieves are dead after trying to steal from a power substation.
According to Gainesville police, around 3 a.m. Monday, emergency crews were called to the 2100 block of Atlanta Highway about a transformer fire.
When crews arrived, they found two men dead.
The investigation revealed the pair trespassed, broke into a fenced area, and attempted to steal from the substation. They were electrocuted and killed, police say.
Gainesville Fire Department crews and Georgia Power employees worked to ensure the area was safe before retrieving the bodies. The two men have been identified as 44-year-old Christopher Blair Wood and 45-year-old Shane Joseph Long. Authorities sent their bodies to the GBI crime lab in Decatur for autopsies.
Substations convert high-voltage electricity into lower voltages that can be used in homes and businesses, according to Georgia Power.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Gainesville Police Department at 770-534-5252.
