Raleigh police announced Friday they arrested a man accused of stealing copper from heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units on the campus of St. Augustine's University.
Around 8:26 a.m. Friday, Raleigh police responded to 1315 Oakwood Ave. in reference to larceny of air conditioner parts. Officers arrested Ronald Hyman on Friday, but did not say which building the alleged crime happened.
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Police also did not say whether they were looking for anyone else involved.
On Friday, WRAL News spoke with Sandy Chapman, who works as a track coach along with security and landscaping at the university. Chapman said several men stole air conditioning units from a building.
“I hadn’t seen them break in,” Chapman said. “The guys I seen this morning, they [had] already took the A/C units apart and stacking them on a cart to move them.
“I’m like, ‘Y’all need to get out of here, I’m calling police and you’re going to jail.’”
Chapman said the men then hopped a fence.
“I called my supervisor, and he said, ‘Call police,’” Chapman said.
On Friday, Sky 5 flew over a building on campus with broken windows.
According to Raleigh police, campus security at Saint Augustine’s University Campus reported someone burned an abandoned building last month on the Raleigh-based campus.
Around 10:14 p.m. Saturday, June 28, Raleigh police responded to assist the Raleigh Fire Department on the scene of a structure fire at 1341 Sarah Hunter Lane. No one was injured, the Raleigh Police Department said.
The fire was out when first responders arrived, according to the police department. The Raleigh Fire Department said the scene was secure.
Arson investigators from the Raleigh Fire Department responded to the scene and have assumed responsibility for the investigation.
It’s unclear if Hyman was involved in the June 28 incident.
The crimes come amid Saint Augustine’s recent financial woes.
Chapman called the university's financial situation “quite depressing.”
“Working for free and I had to cut off a lot of coworkers that resigned or got let go because it was too much bickering,” Chapman said. “I’m here until the ship [goes] down.”
Saint Augustine's University pledges to keep battling to maintain accreditation
Earlier in July, an arbitration panel affirmed an appeals committee’s decision to uphold the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ (SACSCOC) move to remove Saint Augustine’s University from membership.
In response, SAU plans to file an injunction in court to keep its accreditation status and work toward maintaining that standing.
The university says it remains accredited and operational for the fall 2025 semester as the litigation process unfolds.
It's been a turbulent two-year period for SAU with its enrollment dipping to as low as 200 students and moving to all virtual classes in spring 2024.