Fort Wayne police are investigating a string of air conditioning unit thefts from a southeast apartment complex.
Over the past month, twenty units have gone missing from the Twin Oaks Apartments.
The property manager of the complex set up surveillance cameras, capturing video of a man taking apart and stealing one of these AC units.
Now, police need your help identifying him.
This video shows a man taking apart an air conditioning unit during the overnight hours.
By the morning, it's gone- all of it captured on camera.
"The management took a protective role and they installed surveillance cameras. They installed surveillance cameras so they could capture the thief in the act. And that's exactly what they did," says Fort Wayne Police spokesperson Raquel Foster.
The Twin Oaks property manager, who asked us not to name him, showed us how the thief did it.
"And what we do know is that he would use that bolt cutter to drain those AC units of the Freon. So he was prepping those ac units so that he could return hours later and actually remove the valuable internal components that he could then sell," Foster says.
The property manager says each unit costs $1500.
So far, all the stolen AC's have come from vacant apartments.
Police say the thief planned ahead for just about everything.
"You've got a criminal who's thinking ahead: he's bringing his tools, he's wearing his gloves... So he's taking every effort, every precaution not to leave any evidence behind at the scene. What he's not counting on is that the property manager is one step ahead of him, and now has video surveillance of him," Foster says.
Police believe the thief took all the missing AC's at Twin Oaks.
"Once he was successful the first time, he came back, not twice, not three times, not, you know, repeatedly, because he was successful and for him, there was obviously some reward," Foster says.
Police say the suspect could begin stealing AC's from people in occupied apartments if he isn't caught soon.
They urge anyone who can identify the man in the video to call Crime Stoppers at 436-stop.
Over the past month, twenty units have gone missing from the Twin Oaks Apartments.
The property manager of the complex set up surveillance cameras, capturing video of a man taking apart and stealing one of these AC units.
Now, police need your help identifying him.
This video shows a man taking apart an air conditioning unit during the overnight hours.
By the morning, it's gone- all of it captured on camera.
"The management took a protective role and they installed surveillance cameras. They installed surveillance cameras so they could capture the thief in the act. And that's exactly what they did," says Fort Wayne Police spokesperson Raquel Foster.
The Twin Oaks property manager, who asked us not to name him, showed us how the thief did it.
"And what we do know is that he would use that bolt cutter to drain those AC units of the Freon. So he was prepping those ac units so that he could return hours later and actually remove the valuable internal components that he could then sell," Foster says.
The property manager says each unit costs $1500.
So far, all the stolen AC's have come from vacant apartments.
Police say the thief planned ahead for just about everything.
"You've got a criminal who's thinking ahead: he's bringing his tools, he's wearing his gloves... So he's taking every effort, every precaution not to leave any evidence behind at the scene. What he's not counting on is that the property manager is one step ahead of him, and now has video surveillance of him," Foster says.
Police believe the thief took all the missing AC's at Twin Oaks.
"Once he was successful the first time, he came back, not twice, not three times, not, you know, repeatedly, because he was successful and for him, there was obviously some reward," Foster says.
Police say the suspect could begin stealing AC's from people in occupied apartments if he isn't caught soon.
They urge anyone who can identify the man in the video to call Crime Stoppers at 436-stop.
