Electrocuted body found in underground utility vault in Richmond after reported explosion

    RICHMOND, California (KPIX) -- The body of a person who was electrocuted was found in an underground utility vault in Richmond following a reported explosion Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Richmond Fire Department Deputy Chief Aaron Osorio told CBS News Bay Area a call came in at about 3 a.m. for an explosion in the area of Cutting Boulevard and S. 2nd Street.

Osorio said when fire units arrived there was a body inside the underground vault. A preliminary investigation showed the vault was being used by unhoused persons.

"It appears this vault was being accessed by unhoused individuals, possibly for shelter," Osorio said. "At this point, we suspect that's why the person was down there. There's no other indication as to why the individual would be down there. It wasn't a worker."

Fire units were not able to immediately recover the body as there was water in the vault following the incident and the department was waiting on PG&E to reroute electricity, Osorio said. The unidentified male victim was eventually removed from the underground vault at about 2:45 p.m.

Osorio later clarified there was no actual explosion, but rather a large booming sound.

"The explosion that was reported, it appears to be that was when this person came in contact with the energized electrical and that was the explosion sound that individuals heard and called 911 about," said Osorio. "There was no actual fire … no eruption."

PG&E told CBS News Bay Area a power outage in the area started at 2:17 a.m. and affected 1,541 at its peak. The outage was fully restored by 7:07 a.m. the utility said.

Richmond police said the department received a call at about 2:30 a.m. about a copper theft in the vault or in the area of the vault and that there was an explosion. It's believed the call came from one of the people involved in the alleged copper theft, spokesperson Lynnelle Sanchez said.

Later Tuesday, Sanchez said while the investigation began as a possible copper theft, it was not clear whether there was an actual theft.

"We did get an initial call saying there was an attempted copper theft, but it's usually on the light pole on top and not the vault below," said Sanchez. "We can't confirm if this was actual theft or if this person was just somewhere he shouldn't have been and got electrocuted."

Osorio said there was no indication the incident had anything to do with a theft.

"This appears to be unintentional contact with the equipment," said Osorio. "There's no vandalism in there that we could see with the actual equipment."

Despite those assertions, a press release issued Tuesday afternoon by the Richmond Police Department indicated that the individual "was possibly involved in the theft of copper wire when he came in contact with a high-voltage electrical source."

Two workers with a nearby forklift company told CBS News Bay Area they've seen people carrying large quantities of copper out of overground vaults in the area. Martin Rickert, owner of RITCO Forklift Repair and Rentals, said he's tried alerting the city about the issues and that this was bound to happen because of inaction in helping homeless people there find another place to be.

"I heard the explosion and I kept indoors. I called 911 because I've been calling in regard to what is going on in that area," said Rickert. "When I saw what they were doing, tried to tell them it's a bit unsafe and you gotta go at one point. But it's very difficult to tell them when they're already getting money for the wiring and everything they're doing over there."