A copper theft at County Line Station in Wheeling led to a power outage for thousands in the city. (Photo by Derek Redd)

Thousands of Wheeling residents lost power Friday – some for minutes, some for hours – after a copper theft at an Appalachian Power substation in Elm Grove.

The Wheeling Police Department is investigating a theft and vandalism incident that happened at the County Line Substation near Elm Grove Elementary School on Friday morning. WPD spokesman Philip Stahl said materials including copper were taken from the substation site. Officers were called to the scene around 9 a.m. Friday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wheeling Police Department at 304-234-3664.

The theft knocked out power for periods of time for much of Elm Grove and Edgwood, into Bethlehem and downtown Wheeling.

According to Appalachian Power, the theft initially left nearly 7,800 customers without power. Appalachian Power started rerouting customers to other circuits, which restored power for around 2,400 customers within minutes. Crews are now evaluating additional switching methods to restore service to as many remaining customers as possible.

Everyone in Wheeling had power restored by Friday afternoon, according to the company’s outage map.

“APCo is working closely with local law enforcement as they investigate the incident,” the statement read. “APCo also understands the inconvenience this outage causes and appreciates our customers’ patience while crews work as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. Customers are encouraged to enroll in outage alerts to receive updates on restoration times.”