Electrocuted Man Identified

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A man electrocuted in a St. Paul manhole has been identified as Thomas Stanke, of Blaine. St. Paul police spokesman Sgt. Paul Schnell says a preliminary investigation indicates Stanke may have entered the hole Friday morning to strip out and sell copper cable. He is believed to have come into contact with high-voltage power lines with his saw.
 

Schnell says Stanke worked for a company that contracts with a telecommunications firm, but wasn't doing authorized work when he
entered the tunnel. He says a work truck parked nearby was blocking a lane of traffic and a second man at the truck who was distraught.
Investigators are trying to determine what the second man knew of the victim's activities.