Local

Firefighters' cars again targeted outside Fort Mill fire station

FORT MILL, S.C. — Someone broke the windows out of cars parked at the Flint Hill Fire Department on Sunday night or early Monday morning in Fort Mill, South Carolina, officials said.

Investigators said two cars had their windows busted out and cash was stolen.

They hope surveillance cameras on the outside of the building lead them to the culprit.

Fort Mill residents were upset that their firefighters were targeted.

"They are doing a public service," Fort Mill resident Maurice Taylor said. "There here to do a job and for someone to violate them is totally wrong."

In the past two weeks, thieves broke into cars at Kannapolis, China Grove, Mount Moure, Huntersville and Cornelius fire stations. Two Charlotte fire stations were also hit while firefighters were out on calls.

This series of similar crimes has inspired Noda resident Woody Williams to act.

"I saw that the fire stations were having problems with the burglaries and break-ins," Williams said. "I said, 'They aren't going to break into mine on my watch.' Every time, I saw the fire truck go out, I would come over to Station 7 and post and hang around."

Williams, an Army veteran, has been standing watch at Charlotte Fire Department Station 7. He says he's just giving back to the firefighters who have given him so much.

"I had a small fire and they came and put that out," Williams recalled. "Then I had some issues with my health and they came out to resuscitate me. Those are some scoundrels doing that. These [firefighters] are the guys that would even come help the burglar if he had a heart attack or had a fire."

The Cornelius Fire Department told Channel 9 that the Police Department is now coming by the fire departments each time the firefighters go out on calls.

In Huntersville, firefighters parked their trucks inside the department after someone ransacked vehicles Friday night.

Since then, citizens have offered to pay for the firefighters' damages or to stand watch at the station. While the department had to decline those offers, they have accepted several food donations over the weekend.

Police haven't said if all break-ins are related.