The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced charges against two Rougemont men on Monday following an investigation into a residential break-in that saw more than $10,000 worth of property stolen.
A release from the office said law enforcement is searching for 37-year-old Zacharia Warnke on the charges of breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, and conspiracy, after officers arrested 34-year-old William Cox on June 18 on the same charges. The sheriff’s office said Warnke is at-large, but investigators believe him to be in the region — while Cox posted bond and was released from the detention center after his arrest.
The charges stem from a theft at a house off Highway 70A outside of Hillsborough’s town limits, according to Monday’s alert. The sheriff’s office said the property owner returned after nine days to an unoccupied house he is renovating on June 7 and discovered thefts of building materials and home appliances. Investigators used evidence from the scene to establish probable cause for a search warrant of Cox’s residence, with the sheriff’s office saying some of the stolen property was located after deputies executed the warrant. Further investigation led law enforcement to a storage building in Durham County were more items stolen from the residence were recovered…