Lineman working to restore power is found brutally beaten on sidewalk, Texas cops say

A lineman working to restore power in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl is accused of severely beating a fellow lineman, putting him in critical condition, Texas police say.

Police in Galveston responded to a call about a man found “lying on the sidewalk” near the beach at about 1:15 a.m. on July 15, the department said in a July 16 news release. He appeared seriously hurt.

“Upon arrival officers discovered a male that appeared to have been struck repeatedly, sustaining injuries about the head and face,” police said. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

The attack comes amid a string of threats and harassment from Texas residents against linemen working to fix the damage done by Beryl, including instances of people aiming guns at the workers, McClatchy News reported.

But detectives soon discovered that another lineman, 24-year-old Trevor Tedore, assaulted the man, police said.

Tedore and his co-worker were staying at the same nearby hotel while in town to repair damaged electrical infrastructure, according to police.

Tedore, a Sugarland resident, was booked into the Galveston County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, police said. His bond is set at $200,000.

Galveston is a roughly 50-mile drive southeast from downtown Houston.

This story was originally published July 17, 2024 at 8:50 AM with the headline "Lineman working to restore power is found brutally beaten on sidewalk, Texas cops say."