Public Safety thwarts attempted theft

   Orange Police, with the assistance of Public Safety, arrested two juvenile Orange residents on suspicion of burglary of two skateboards from a campus art exhibit in Moulton Hall Jan. 19 at approximately 7 p.m.

    A faculty member called Public Safety about suspicious activity. While questioning the juveniles, campus officers found the missing skateboards in the bushes near Palm Avenue and Center Street.

   Randy Burba, chief of Public Safety, wrote in an email that campus officers approached the juveniles before they knew about the alleged burglary.

   "We discovered the vacant art display in Moulton and matched up the missing skateboards that we recovered from the bushes," Burba wrote. "The suspects then admitted to taking the skateboards from Moulton."

   Kiera Hoefle, a freshman graphic design major, created one of the recovered skateboards for her final project in her drawing and planning class. Public Safety called her parents at home in Vermont Jan. 20 at midnight looking for her, she said.

   "I was a little upset when I heard," Hoefle said. "I think I spent over 15 hours on the board."  

   At the same time as the skateboard theft, another theft was reported in Wilkinson Hall to the Orange Police Department (OPD). Journalism adjunct professor Jerry Hicks' computer dock and personal tape recorder were stolen from his office. The computer, which cost $675 plus tax has been replaced by the university, Hicks said.

   Sgt. Dan Adams, public information officer for OPD, said the items were not found with the juveniles and OPD cannot connect the Wilkinson theft to them without a confession.

   "Chances are very good that they were involved, but they did not admit to it," Adams said The skateboards were recovered without damage and have been returned to the art exhibit, Burba wrote. OPD crime scene investigators gathered evidence from Hicks' office and the investigation is still pending, Adams said.

   OPD detectives will question the juveniles arrested again in the future about the missing computer and recorder, Adams said.

   After being detained, the juveniles were released to their guardians pending a court hearing.