RIVERSIDE, CA — Two individuals were arrested and subsequently released on bail following a multi-month investigation into extensive theft and vandalism targeting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at nine campuses within the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD).
The investigation began on March 2, 2026, when staff at John W. North High School notified Riverside Police officers that several campus HVAC units had been stripped of materials and damaged. Officers canvassed the area for security footage and contacted local businesses, obtaining video evidence of the suspects and their vehicle. Investigators utilized license plate recognition technology to identify the vehicle’s license plate.
As the inquiry progressed, law enforcement discovered that nine different district schools had been subjected to similar copper and material thefts over a two-month period. The total financial damage to the HVAC infrastructure across the affected campuses is estimated to exceed $130,000…