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Tacoma police arrest 5 allegedly attempting to break into power vault

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Tacoma police have arrested five people they say tried to break into a Tacoma power vault.

The five individuals were caught Monday night after police allegedly saw them on video trying to get into a city-owned power vault on South Tyler Street. The vault is fenced off.

Police say that one of them had a firearm.

KING5 also reports that the suspects allegedly had drugs and paraphernalia in their possession.

Prosecutors say the Tyler Street vault provides power to communication systems for South Sound 911.

This is the latest power vault or substation to be targeted in recent months. Prior to this incident, there have been at least 10 attacks on the Northwest power grid since November. The FBI has offered as much as $50,000 for information leading to arrests for previous attacks.

RELATED: FBI warned of neo-Nazi plots as attacks on Northwest grid spiked

The trial for one of two men accused of breaking into four power substations in Pierce County on Christmas Day is set to begin in July. The other suspect pled guilty in April.

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