Police: Woman Powers Home with Neighbor's Electric Meter

An unemployed Largo woman is accused of stealing an electric meter from a vacant residence and using it to provide electricity to her home, according to an arrest affidavit.

Anne Louise Schaffner, 52, is accused of entering a vacant residence in her neighborhood and taking the electric meter, Largo Police said. Then she allegedly placed the neighbor's meter on her own residence so she could have electricity.

After she was arrested, Schaffner admitted to stealing the meter, "for the sole purpose of producing electricity for her own residence. (Schaffner) admitted that she could not pay her own electric bill, which drove her to the theft," according to a police report.

The total value of the electricity lost was $519.90, and the meter was valued at $49, police said.

Schaffner was arrested Jan. 9 on the charges of grand theft and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. She was awaiting trial as of Jan. 10 at Pinellas County Jail. Total bond was set at $12,000, according to online Pinellas County Sheriff's records.

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