Points made ... Now for the 'counter-point.':
If I had to guess ..... the PoCo had disconnected at the meter, and this guy had worked his way to the metering compartment.
Or, it is also possible that power was kept 'on' by the property management company, so as to provide a light for security. Remember, no one ever knows how long the building will be vacant .... and, in the meantime, there will be potential tenants who wish to see the place.
I see no fault on the part od the PoCo. Remember, this "victim" forced his way in so he could steal ... that's burglary, a felony in every state. Then, his efforts would likely have left an unsafe situation for whoever next entered the place - maybe electrocuting them. Some Father figure.
There is only so much you can do to protect folks from their own stupidity. I once saw the results when two guys decided to recycle bricks, from a vacant plant. They started on the ground floor. I was there the day after they were dug out. Darwin strikes again.
I also once spoke to a woman whose son had decided to recycle the 'excess' copper from a PoCo substation. OOPS.
Civilization left the "hunter and gatherer" model millennia ago. It was but a memory, even in Biblical times. It's time we recognized these Neanderthal throw-backs for the danger they pose .... rather than for the sympathy they can inspire.
