Parked vehicle belonging to LUMA subcontractor hit by gunfire in Luquillo

A vehicle belonging to a LUMA Energy subcontractor was struck by gunfire on Thursday in Luquillo “at a work site where company employees and support contractors were present,” the grid operator said. No injuries were reported.

By The Star Staff

Luquillo District agents from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau were investigating on Thursday an incident in which a vehicle belonging to a company subcontracted by private grid operator LUMA Energy was hit by several bullets on Thursday on highway PR-983 in the Las Viudas sector of the northeastern coastal town.

The vehicle, which was parked and unoccupied, was damaged in circumstances that are still under investigation.

As of press time Thursday, agents from the Fajardo Region Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) were continuing with the investigation of the incident.

LUMA Energy, which manages the island’s electric power transmission and distribution system, issued a statement emphasizing that the safety of its customers and employees is its top priority.

“We consider any threat against our staff, dedicated to serving the people of Puerto Rico, to be very serious,” the company said in the statement. “This morning, a security incident was reported in Luquillo, in which a gun was fired that hit a LUMA vehicle at a work site where company employees and support contractors were present. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. We want to emphasize that our more than 4,000 employees work day and night, always to serve Puerto Rico, and any type of threat is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

LUMA added that it will continue to collaborate with the authorities in the investigation of the incident.

Meanwhile, in an earlier communique, the company said it continues to be committed to reestablishing electrical service for the 1% of the remaining clients affected by Tropical Storm Ernesto, prioritizing critical areas.

“This includes the PREPA [Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority] installations,” LUMA said in a written statement. “Our brigades have made constant progress in replacing the interruptor damaged at the Cambalache substation that serves the Arecibo Superaqueduct.”

The substation has been put into service and has reestablished service to all its clients.

“Our personnel continue working to complete the installation of the new equipment,” LUMA added. “In addition, we are coordinating with PRASA [the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority] to finalize the repairs to improve water service for more than 40,000 clients throughout Puerto Rico.”

PRASA Executive President Doriel Pagán Crespo, meanwhile, confirmed that LUMA did not have significant contact with the public corporation’s management during the passage of Tropical Storm Ernesto.

That is what Pagán Crespo told at-large Sen. Keren Riquelme Cabrera during an accountability meeting on the actions of first-response agencies with regard to the storm that grazed Puerto Rico last week.

“It is a shame, but apparently communication during the Tropical Storm Ernesto emergency between LUMA Energy management and PRASA was almost non-existent,” Riquelme said. “That is totally unacceptable. LUMA has the responsibility to attend to the needs of PRASA as a priority; it cannot be relegated to not calling or not communicating with the executive [president] of PRASA or her staff. I could not believe it when we were informed that communication was poor. It is incredible and absolutely unacceptable.”