Federal investigators have arrested an Arkansas man in connection with a series of attacks on parts of the power grid in that state earlier this year.
Jason Woodring, 37, was arrested by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force Saturday and charged with destruction of an energy facility.
"The citizens of central Arkansas can rest a bit easier today with the arrest of Jason Woodring. The power grid attacks had the potential to put many lives at risk," U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer said in a statement.
Fox16.com reported that Woodring has admitted responsibility for three incidents involving attacks on the local power grid. The first incident, on August 21, occurred when someone brought down one of the high-voltage transmission lines used by multistate utility Entergy.
While at Woodring's home, investigators found a cable that matched the one used in the August incident.
The second incident occurred on September 29, when someone set fire to an Entergy substation 25 miles south of the town of Cabot and inscribed the words "you should have expected us" on a metal panel. The third incident occurred last weekend when a stolen tractor was used to take down power lines near Woodring's home in Jacksonville, an escapade which caused nearly 9,000 people to lose power.
Neighbors told Fox16.com they were not surprised by Woodring's arrest. When asked if she felt safe living near him, one neighbor simply replied, "No." The neighbor later said, "I feel sorry for him, but I'm glad to know that it's probably a safer neighborhood without him around."
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