A 41-year-old man has been charged after several batteries were stolen from an Edmonton road sign in the city’s northeast last week.
On March 28, police were called about a battery theft in the area of 144 Avenue and 66 Street. Later that day, police arrested two men in the area of Yellowhead Trail and 77 Street.
Police said 11 batteries were found in the vehicle the men were in at the time.
Roy Liska, 41, is facing one count of possession of stolen property under $5,000.
The other man was released without charges, police said.
There are about 130 road signs in Edmonton that are used to inform motorists of things like construction, traffic jams and Amber Alerts. Most of the signs are powered by solar energy and require six-volt battery units.
Since 2016, the City of Edmonton has reported battery thefts from 55 signs. Police said it costs about $1,000 to repair each sign every time batteries are forcibly removed.
Police are still looking for any witnesses who may have information about the battery thefts. Anyone with information is asked to call the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.