Copper HVAC Tubing Stolen From Underneath Molino Community Complex

January 10, 2014

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of all of the heating and cooling related copper tubing from underneath one side of the Molino Community Complex.

The theft was discovered by maintenance personnel Thursday. About $500-600 worth of HVAC copper tubing was cut out from under an entire wing of the building, according to Bill Pearson, Escambia County spokesman. He said it will cost up to an estimated $4,000 to make repairs.

About two-thirds of the building — the community center and library — were not impacted by the theft, while the yet to be opened museum area was left without heating or cooling by the theft.

When the old Molino school was remodeled into the community center, every precaution was taken to prevent HVAC thefts — or so the county thought. Outdoor HVAC units are surrounded by metal frames that are bolted down, and all of the units are fenced-in. But the county never anticipated that someone would attempt to remove copper from underneath the building’s crawlspace.

“It’s kind of ironic,” Pearson said. “We thought every precaution was taken to protect it.”

It appeared that the culprit or culprits entered the building’s crawlspace through very small ventilation openings in brickwork on the front of the building. Surveillance video is being reviewed for more suspect information, Pearson said.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.

The Molino Community Complex opened in October 2012.

Pictured top: Thieves apparently accessed the crawlspace under the Molino Community Complex using small ventilation openings on the front (pictured left) and back (right) of the building. Pictured inset: A sign on an HVAC unit warns of an alarm system. Pictured below: The HVAC units at the county owned building were also protected by fencing and cages around each unit. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

13 Responses to “Copper HVAC Tubing Stolen From Underneath Molino Community Complex”

  1. molino jim on January 11th, 2014 12:41 pm

    @ Wondering: One section of copper pipe that has been bent and flatten looks the same as all of the rest. Hard to ID one from the other. I knew a person in Pensacola who had bought a set of copper gutters from an old building that was being torn down. He was going to put them on another old home he was restoring. They were in a building and they were removed (stolen), flatten and sold for scrap. The worse with that case and the case here–they only receive pennies on the dollar for the cost on the material and the repair cost. To bad the ones here didn’t didn’t get hung up on something and be found under the building in the spring time.

  2. Mike on January 11th, 2014 7:20 am

    It might be time to bring back that person or family that lived in a mobile home on the property & looked after things security-wise there. That, & maybe a high security fence with razor wire, guard dogs, security cameras (some of the 20 or so cameras in the DMV main room could work) or an armed security guard/nightwatchman.

    The time of leaving anything of value unattended is over with, gone, just a quaint memory of a time before we had so much drugheaded human vermin running loose. :)

  3. Ian King on January 10th, 2014 10:13 pm

    As of 6pm all 5 units at the molino Community Center have been repaired and back on line. A good quick job by the County and Commander Air . Thankyou

  4. D.Hall on January 10th, 2014 9:23 pm

    Throw The Book- The Whole “NINE YARDS” ! (1) Theft (2) Trespassing (3) Unauthorized Use Of A Public Building … Now The State & Federal Charges , (4) Improper Disposal Of A Hazardous Waste (when the freon was released from copper tubes it went into the air – it (the system) should have been vacuumed … Federal Crime)

  5. melodies4us on January 10th, 2014 9:16 pm

    Preach it, Alan G.

  6. Alan G. on January 10th, 2014 7:13 pm

    I don’t care about the freon fine, although I know the environment is IMPORTANT!…I say it should be a FELONY against the public and give them Tall time!!!!

  7. lzlhome on January 10th, 2014 9:11 am

    Is it only me or does Molino have way too much crime for a small farming community? Apparently there is a rotten underbelly here that only surfaces to satisfy greed at the expense of others.

  8. Ian king on January 10th, 2014 8:26 am

    We lost service to 3 rooms for the museum, the 2 meeting rooms, kitchen, and the community center office, in all 5 units are affected.

  9. Wondering on January 10th, 2014 8:25 am

    I was just wondering why the law enforcement officials in this area can’t seem to identify the places where the thieves are selling their ill-gotten-gains. Are there so many of these places that they can’t visit them all or are there only less than 10 such companies which buy the stolen copper wire? If the latter, why do these thefts continue? Can’t the law enforcement officials visit each one and identify who brought in the copper tubing and then go and arrest them? What is so difficult about this? Why does it continue? I know why the thieves steal it – to get money to buy meth or whatever, I just can’t understand why its so difficult to arrest them. Would some law enforcement official like to respond to this? I’m sure we’re all wondering why it continues..Thank you.

  10. Gembeaux on January 10th, 2014 6:54 am

    Thieves are theives, which means that they are looking for a free and easy ride. Of course they’ll steal from the elderly, kids, and well meaning, law abiding citizens like you or me. There is no honor among thieves, no moral ground to stand on for these people. They need two things: (1.) To be caught, and (2.) our prayers.

  11. Molino on January 10th, 2014 5:51 am

    If they catch them they should give them a hefty EPA fine for releasing freon like they would a working man trying to make a living but never hear that they just charge them for the theft not the pollution

  12. Jane on January 10th, 2014 3:33 am

    I can’t believe that people are such jerks that they target schools and community centers! They are damaging the things that could help children and schools and even older people. Glad they didn’t get the copper from the Library. Indirectly our community has to pay for this thieft….please call the the numbers provided if you know anything!

  13. big duke on January 10th, 2014 3:29 am

    Thats sad and the building is there for the people of molino and its free shm sham

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News