More Letters Stolen from Ave Maria Entrance Sign
- Details
-
Published on Tuesday, 13 January 2015 22:37
The Collier County Sheriff's Office is investigating another incident involving theft of large metal letters from the "Ave Maria" sign on Oil Well Rd. at the main entrance to the town.
The latest theft was reported about 1 a.m. Tuesday morning by a resident who noticed the letters were missing, saw a car parked by the entrance, noted the license number and called 9-1-1. Police were able to respond quickly because there now is at least one deputy assigned to the Ave Maria area 24 hours a day, and a deputy pulled the car over on Ave Maria Blvd. across from the campus.
"We are grateful that a citizen stepped up, got a description and called it in," said Lt. Andrew Prisco, the commander of the Immokalee patrol district that now has responsibility for Ave Maria. Investigators have identified suspects and the incident is under active investigation, he added.
The manager of the Ave Maria Master Association, Luisa Rosales, said the two missing letters were returned by Ave Maria University security staff, adding that in the last few days, other AMU personnel have found and turned in two more letters from signs on Camp Keais Rd. that were stolen in December.
Police arrested an AMU student in the December incidents and he faces charges of grand theft, a felony. The previous theft also is an active investigation.
