State police seek tips on whoever is shooting electrical transformers near Lansing

PORTLAND — A vandalism investigation involving utility equipment in three Lansing-area counties remains open, and a $10,000 reward is still up for grabs for anyone who provides information leading to an arrest or conviction of the culprit or culprits who shot up the equipment.

Michigan State Police have been investigating a string of incidents over the past year in which transformers, regulators and other equipment owned by Portland-based HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative were damaged by gunfire.

In May, the nonprofit co-op offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for an estimated $250,000 in damages to equipment at locations in Clinton, Eaton and Ionia counties. In recent days, state police have been renewing a request for tips on X.

The number of vandalism incidents has since grown from 14 to 15, said Charly Markwart, HomeWorks' communications manager. The most recent one happened in late June at an Ionia County location that previously had been vandalized, she said.

The co-op has more than 22,000 members in 13 rural counties in central and south-central Michigan. Most of the damage has happened overnight, and the utility has asked that anyone who hears gunfire at night call 911.

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 517-483-7867. A link to report a tip is on HomeWorks' website.

Contact Ken Palmer atkpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj.