Cedar Grove Ruritan Club has had two new, yet to be installed, HVAC units stolen.
Cedar Grove Ruritan Club, a group that supports Orange County through fundraising projects to raise money for scholarships and community service, has been saving the $ 15,000 required for these units for about three years.
If you have any information about this crime, please contact Investigator Jason Nazworth at (919) 245-2960 or email [email protected]. Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood is offering a $ 1,500 reward for any information that may lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Buck Curtis, a club member and past president, said the organization was hoping to fully air-condition the facility’s gym when the two HVAC units they ordered were stolen.
“When something like this happens, it’s pretty daunting,” said Curtis.
The theft occurred around 2 a.m. on March 22nd. The club reported leaving the cardboard-covered units right next to the back of the gym. Curtis said from the street no one could have seen her. To steal the units, Curtis said the suspects drove all the way around the back of the building, picked up the units and loaded them into their trucks. Curtis said the units were large enough to require at least two people to move around.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigator Jason Nazworth said in a statement via email that the morning after the theft, when a Cedar Grove agent arrived to unlock the gate, he noticed the two units were missing . A staff member who returned to retrieve his forgotten tools said he saw the units the night before, he said.
The truck used in the theft was an older, square-bodied pickup truck, according to surveillance photos and videos referenced in a press release from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. There were at least two people in the truck who had an inoperative low beam headlight on the passenger side.
The Ruritan Club is a historic section of Orange County’s community that helps raise funds for a variety of purposes, including a $ 1,000 per year scholarship for a senior graduating from the county.
“Most of our revenue goes back to the community in one way or another to try to help,” Curtis said.
The club also buys Christmas gifts for children in need and hosts community events such as breakfast fundraisers, golf tournaments, and horse shows. The club is holding a $ 10,000 raffle to raise money for a toy ride. Curtis said at the Ruritan Club that the community comes first – the only money that is not spent on the community is money that is used on the upkeep and maintenance of club facilities.
Nazworth said there are currently no suspects in the theft, but the Orange County Sheriff’s office is following a few leads.
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood is offering a $ 1,500 reward for any information that may lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
“The historic ruritan building has been the lifeblood of the Cedar Grove community in many ways for many years,” Blackwood said in the press release. “This is not only a crime that harms the Ruritans, but also a slap in the face.” the face of the people who appreciate this facility and what it means to this community. “
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