PETERSBURG, Va. -- Tim and Terrell Turner called it their Nightmare on Elm Street. For the second time in a month, thieves have stolen the HVAC unit of the Elm Street home the Turners worked to rehab.
"A gentleman came in the yard, stole the first HVAC Unit we installed," Terrell Turner said about the initial crime around Christmas.
Out thousands of dollars for the unit and labor, the Turners had a second unit installed with a cage around it as a deterrent.
"Maybe it did [deter the thieves] but they looked beyond it and figured out to get into it and stole the second unit as well," Terrell Turner said.
A small camera set up on the property caught images of the crime in progress.
"We were planning on being finished with this house by Saturday and having it ready to go on the market by Monday but now we’re going to have to wait at least two more weeks," Tim Turner said.
The Turners are not the only ones experiences HVAC theft.
In the last few months, police have reported:
- 8 thefts in Hopewell
- 6 thefts in Petersburg
- 2 thefts in Chesterfield County
- 2 thefts in Prince George County
Investigators believe the thieves sell the units for scrap or parts.
The crimes left the Turners with some difficult decisions.
"It does make me skeptical about continuing to invest in Petersburg, as much as I love Petersburg," Tim Turner said.
Petersburg Police are using the Turners' photos to identify and catch the HVAC thieves.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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