A Durham man has been charged with damaging HVAC systems at a local school and a business. Deputies are still searching for additional suspects.
On Saturday, deputies with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office were called to Glenn Elementary School after school staff reported that the HVAC system had been damaged and components were missing.
Other WRAL Top Stories
Deputies used evidence to connect the theft to a similar crime that occurred earlier in August at a business on TW Alexander Drive in Research Triangle Park.
Multiple suspects were identified.
William Leroy Jenkins, 38, of Durham, was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of felony conspiracy, two counts of felony larceny and two counts of injury to property. He was also charged with identity theft and obtaining property by false pretense.
Jenkins is being held in the Durham County Detention Center without bond.
Deputies said additional arrests are expected.
"Durham Public Schools is extremely grateful to our Safety and Security and Operations departments, contractors and law enforcement partners for the immediate action taken after the new chillers at Glenn Elementary School were damaged and destroyed during the late evening hours on Friday and Saturday, August 28 and 29," a spokesperson for the school district said. "We are fortunate that our students and staff members were not directly impacted by this unfortunate event, and appreciate that the school was able to resume normal operations with temporary chillers until permanent HVAC units are installed."
Mechworks Mechanical Contractors, Inc., one of the groups originally working on the site, said there were security cameras on the property showing two individuals entering the property.
"Approximately four hours later, a truck arrived pulling a trailer -- and they loaded up and left," the group shared on social media.
“They may, especially in a pick-up truck and trailer, they may have gotten away with $6,000 worth of copper, wherever they sold it," said President Trapas Pratt, estimating the total cost of labor, replacements, and rentals sitting at around $1M.
“I hate to say it, but we joke that if we could find out who it was, we might hire them because it came out so quickly," Pratt said.
Pratt said his business is no stranger to responding to these kinds of thefts across the state, but noted the rarity of a theft occurring one week into the school year.
“The timing of this theft is interesting. School was already in. There are a million projects that are underway that don’t have as many eyes on it, for lack of better terms, that would’ve been a better choice. So the timing of this one is particularly confusing to me.”
Repairs were made quickly before students returned to the classroom on August 31, just before dangerous triple-digit heat reached the Triangle.
“This time of year, every mechanical system is struggling, Pratt said. “Those kids, there’s absolutely no way there would’ve been zero, absolutely zero cool air in the building. It would’ve been pushing hot air throughout hot air.”