The Sarnia Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying those responsible for two incidents involving the theft of copper wiring and damage to an underground electrical vault in downtown Sarnia

Over the past several weeks, unknown suspect(s) gained access to an underground utility vault located in front of the Sarnia Library at 124 Christina Street North. On September 8, 2026, police responded to a report of a fire inside the vault, which was determined to have been caused by damage to copper wiring. A witness reported observing a male wearing a black sweater and jeans exiting the service tunnel and walking northbound on Christina Street. A red backpack was also located at the scene.

A second incident was discovered on September 19, 2026, when concerns were raised about a vault grate creating a hazard for pedestrians. Upon inspection, workers found that copper grounding wires had been removed from the vault. While the value of the stolen copper is estimated at approximately $250, the cost to repair and replace the damaged infrastructure is expected to be in the thousands of dollars. Investigators believe the theft occurred in the days leading to its discovery.