LITCHFIELD — Vandals broke into the Litchfield Transfer Station office last week, severing all the electrical cords to render machinery useless, strewing photos of Elaine Carpenter’s grandchildren all over the floor and netting $8.

It was the second time in a year the office at the Litchfield Transfer Station was targeted for destruction, and another time, would-be burglars were stymied by locked windows.

Elaine Carpenter — the town employee who staffs the Litchfield transfer station — said the latest break-in occurred between Monday and Wednesday of last week. The transfer station is only open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekends.

“I made mistake of leaving a window unlocked,” she said. “They cut the screens and got in and cut the power cords off everything in this office, the TV, DVD player, my lamp. I had a (power strip) surge protector. They cut the cord right off. My air conditioner, they cut the cord off that.

“They took everything out of my drawer.”

Deputies with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office came out to investigate, she said, and she’s had to fill out a loss report for the town.

Last year, vandals kicked in the door to the office to get in.

“We had to replace the door because they ruined the door casing the door last summer,” she said.

Now the door is secured with a padlock and hasp.

A table held photos of her grandchildren. “I found those all over the floor,” she said. “I had some candle holders on the window sill somebody had brought in for me, and those were all broke.”

Carpenter, who has worked for the town for eight years, is feeling frustrated with the continued break-ins.

“If you want to come in and take something out of my office, come on Saturday or Sunday and I’ll give it to you,” she said. “Just don’t come in and destroy things.”

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com