Orange County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Recent Lumber Thefts

Construction costs are high across the country as real estate booms, but recently, one site in Orange County is seeing costs go up as lumber is stolen.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office shared a release Tuesday saying it is investigating thefts of lumber from an unnamed site on Monday, August 2 and Friday, August 6. According to the sheriff’s office, two men drove vans up to the site in early morning hours and loaded “a large quantity of oriented strand board, more commonly known as OSB” into their vehicles.

Motion-activated trail cameras caught footage of the suspects in action, as they drove a white van for the first trip and a black van for the second.

Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in Tuesday’s release that since OSB is used in about 70 percent of all floor, wall and roof sheathing in construction, it’s currently a valuable commodity.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues significantly increased the cost of building materials,” he said, “which unfortunately led to an increase in the number of thefts from construction sites. My deputies are patrolling the construction sites in their areas more frequently. Additionally, we are publishing a tip sheet to help site managers improve site security and deter thefts such as these.”

Suspects with a white van take oriented strand board, more commonly known as OSB, from a construction site in Orange County in early August. (Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.)

A suspect prepares to load stolen oriented strand board into a black van at a construction site in Orange County in early August. (Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.)

Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office are asking for help identifying the two men caught on video. Anyone who may have information on their identities or the August 2 and August 6 robberies is encouraged to call Investigator Baldwin with the office at 919-245-2030.

Construction site managers are encouraged to come by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to pick up a tip sheet about security. Tuesday’s release said they can also call 919-245-2900 to request one be delivered to the job site.

Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

‹

Construction Closing Lane of I-85 North in Orange County

Lanes of I-85 in Orange County will be closed beginning on Tuesday as construction crews will be replacing aging signs along the highway. Officials say the first closure was set for nine o’clock Tuesday morning for the right lane of I-85 North between mile markers 167 and 170. The closure is scheduled to last until […]

NCDOT: Overnight Bridge Demolition for I-40 Widening Project Will Close Old NC 86

A old bridge of I-40 in Hillsborough is set to be demolished as the state Department of Transportation continues widening in Orange County.

After Nightly Closures, Millhouse Road Set for Months-Long Shutdown for I-40 Widening

A release from NCDOT said Millhouse Road will be fully closed from New Jericho Road to Cell Tower Drive for four months as I-40 is widened.

NCDOT: All-Way Stop Coming to Western Orange County Intersection

An intersection in the rural parts of Chapel Hill and Orange County is set to receive an all-way stop in the coming days, according to NCDOT.

Overnight Repairs Scheduled for N.C. 86 Bridge in Hillsborough

Contractors from the North Carolina Department of Transportation are planning for overnight closures along a section of Interstate 85 in Hillsborough to repair the North Carolina Highway 86 bridge. The southbound lanes of the interstate are set to close at Exit 165 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. starting on Saturday, June 17. According to […]

Resurfacing of Merritt Mill Road in Carrboro to Begin Tuesday

Summer resurfacing work along Merritt Mill Road in Carrboro will begin on Tuesday, according to a release from the Town of Carrboro and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The goal of the project will be to modify the existing street cross section by removing the center turn lane and adding new bike lanes and […]

UPDATE: Work on Interstate 40 in Orange County This Weekend Postponed

Editor’s Note: The original version of this story cited incorrect wording from the North Carolina Department of Transportation about the length of the closure of I-40 East. An updated release from the state department clarified the entire widening project in Orange County is 11.4 miles, but the closure would only be at the split of […]

NCDOT Announces I-40, Whitfield Road Projects in Orange County

The state Department of Transportation shared two projects that will require full road closures in Orange County in the coming days. NCDOT will conduct overnight closures on Interstate 40 West outside Hillsborough starting on Sunday, as bridge replacement over Old N.C. 86 begins. An alert from the department said the interstate will close both lanes […]

Orange County Beginning Hillsborough Fiber Project Construction Next Week

The installation of fiber optic lines along state roads and town streets will begin in Hillsborough next week, Orange County announced Monday. The goal of the project is to connect county government facilities and install a backup internet connection in case of primary network failure. “We’re connecting all of our county’s buildings,” Renee Price, chair […]

Orange County Sheriff's Office Investigating Recent Lumber Thefts

Construction costs are high across the country as real estate booms, but recently, one site in Orange County is seeing costs go up as lumber is stolen. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office shared a release Tuesday saying it is investigating thefts of lumber from an unnamed site on Monday, August 2 and Friday, August 6. […]

›