Staff Writer

Authorities are investigating a series of break-ins and larcenies that resulted in the theft or damage of more than $7,000 worth of property.

The Union Public Safety Department is investigating an incident of second-degree burglary and grand larceny at 305 May St. The victim told officers that sometime between 8 a.m. Aug. 2 and 8 a.m. Aug. 9, someone broke into an outbuilding on his property.

Items taken from inside the building were two sets of rims (Mercedes 1500 and Toyota 100) and an unknown set of tires and rims. Items taken from outside the building include stainless steel door ($600), five 5-gallon buckets of bolts ($700) and an entire Goodman air conditioning unit ($2,000).

Theft from yard

Officers are investigating the theft of a $1,000 worth of goods from a yard at 336 Meansville Road. The victim told officers Thursday afternoon that a black pot, a wheel weight that's put on a tractor and a refrigerator were taken from his property. He said the items were there when he checked the property on Sunday.

Metal theft

The theft of aluminum and copper from an air conditioning unit at a residence at 803 South Boyce St. is also being investigated by the public safety department.

The victim told officers that on Monday she came by to check on things when she noticed the central air conditioning unit was lying in pieces in the backyard. She initially thought the unit had been damaged by a storm and called a relative to repair it. The relative arrived on Thursday and discovered the unit had been disassembled and the copper and aluminum parts cut out.

Cell phone theft

An employee of Carolina Floor Coverings told officers that around 2:30 p.m. Thursday she was helping a customer who was renting a U-Haul. She left her cell phone on the counter while helping the customer and when she was finished he noticed it was gone. The woman said that a black male was with the customer but never spoke. She said she knew the customer from high school.

The cell phone is a Samsung SGH-I607 Blackjack valued at $400.

Beer stolen

A clerk at the Lil Cricket at 1237 Arthur Blvd., told officers that around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, a white man she knew only as “Dell” came into the store and picked up a 12-pack of Natural Lite Beer and asked her for $5. He then cursed her and told her that he would bring the money back to her and she told him he could not do that.

Another man who was with “Dell” told him he needed to put the beer back but he refused and left in an older model Honda Accord. The beer is valued at $10.

Break-in

The Union County Sheriff's Office is investigating a larceny involving the theft of vehicle parts from a residence at 204 Riley Road in Buffalo. The victim told deputies that sometime between 8 a.m. July 12 and 7 p.m. Aug. 14 someone stole some racing heads and scrap tubing from behind his residence.

The heads were Chevy 350, one a 4-bolt main and the other a 2-bolt main, and had a total value of $1,500. The victim said that 462 were the last numbers in the serial number.

The tubing was 4-inch square tubing with a value of $75.

A catalytic converter with a value of $200 was taken from a wrecked vehicle.

The victim said that a vehicle he was keeping that he hadn't received payment for was damaged. The windshield was broken and the headlights broken. There was also damage to the hood and fender. Total damage to the vehicle was estimated at $500.

Deputies are also investigating the theft of power tools from a vehicle parked outside a residence at 623 Phillipi Church Road in Union. The victim told deputies that sometime between 8 a.m. Monday and 5 p.m. Thursday, someone stole a Black & Decker skillsaw and a Dewalt jigsaw from his 1992 Chevy Blazer. The tools had a total value of $120.v