Orangeburg deputies in search of those responsible for mailbox damage

ORANGEBURG, SC (WIS) - Authorities in Orangeburg are asking for information after more than 12 mailboxes were damaged.

According to Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office spokesman Richard Walker, reports of damaged mailboxes started coming in on Friday morning as residents were driving through the neighborhood.

"We're asking that if anyone saw anything suspicious late Thursday or early Friday to call us," he said. "The damage done to these mailboxes leaves the community with a cost of nearly $5,000 to repair or replace their mailboxes."

Mailboxes from Tolly Ganly Circle to Waterford Parkway in the Edisto Plantation subdivision were either damaged or destroyed, according to reports. Many of the platforms securing the mailboxes were also damaged as well.

Walker says the calls began coming in at 7 a.m. on Friday when a man who lives on Tolly Ganly Circle discovered his mailbox seemed to suffer damage after being hit with a heavy object. Nearly a mile away, a man on Waterford Parkway noticed found his mailbox damaged as well.

In total, there were 14 mailboxes damaged in the area.

The area has been placed on direct patrol as deputies will make rounds to check the area and surrounding streets for suspicious persons or vehicles.

Federal law states that damaging a mailbox and the mail inside of them is considered a federal offense. Those convicted of the offense can be fined up to $250,000 or be sentenced to up to three years in jail for each act.

"The damage done to each mailbox is serious. Mail cannot be legally left in an unsecured mailbox," Ravenell said. "Medicine could be delayed, retirement or social security checks could be held up. This is an issue we take seriously."

Anyone with information on the incidents is urged to call the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office at 803-534-3550. Tipsters may also call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC.

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