Houston police warn of fake CenterPoint Energy workers looking to break into homes

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – As thousands of people sit at home without electricity due to the Houston winter storm, police say fake energy company workers are looking for their next target.

According to a tweet posted Monday by Chief Art Acevedo, the police department has received reports of people claiming to be CenterPoint Energy workers.

“We have reports of mockery impersonating [CenterPoint Energy] Employees to access homes to victimize occupants, “Acevedo wrote.” Restoring disruptions in our area due to the severe weather does not require entry into residences. “

The Texas power grid experienced a system-wide failure Monday morning as demand increased due to historic winter conditions statewide.

Network administrators declared an emergency after record energy use had utilities beyond capacity.

The outages in Texas could last for hours, even days, due to multiple power generation plants that are offline, according to officials. It is estimated that 75% of Texas ’power generation capacity is estimated.

Acevedo asks everyone who sees suspicious behavior in his neighborhood to call 911 immediately.