UPDATE: The Hillsborough Police Department announced a $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone who voluntarily comes forward with information about the person or people involved in the theft that led to the death of an elderly Home Depot employee.

A release from police on December 16 said anyone with information that may assist their search should contact Hillsborough Investigator Andrew Jones by email or at 919-296-9562.

Hillsborough also revealed the identity of the victim for the first time: 82-year-old Gary Rasor.

The following is a version of the story initially published on December 3.


The Hillsborough Police Department is continuing to search for a suspect in a larceny from a local Home Depot — now with more charges involved after the death of a store employee.

The department shared a release on Friday saying the theft from October 18 at the Home Depot in the Hampton Pointe shopping center is still under investigation. Surveillance footage from that morning, at around 10:40 a.m., showed a man wearing a black Calvin Klein hoodie and black face mask leaving the store without paying for various Ryobi pressure washers.

Video surveillance footage of the suspect in a theft at 625 Hampton Pointe on the morning of October 18. (Photo via the Hillsborough Police Department.)

In the video, as the suspect exits, an 82-year-old Home Depot employee tries to confront him. The departing thief then pushes the employee, who falls to the ground and does not get up.

While the initial alert about the crime did not include an update on the 82-year-old, Hillsborough Police said on Friday the man died on November 30 due to “complications from the injuries received” in the assault. The North Carolina medical examiner officially ruled the death as a homicide, which adds to the charges sought against the suspect.

Hillsborough Police describe the thief as a Black man around 6 feet tall. He left the scene in a white, four-door Hyundai Sonata, according to investigators, which had an obscured, temporary North Carolina license plate.

The local police department said it hopes the public will help potentially identify the suspect or share more details of what happened the morning of October 18. Hillsborough Investigator Andrew Jones is accepting calls and emails regarding the case, and can be reached at 919-296-9562. Hillsborough Police are also accepting tips and messages through the department’s Facebook page.

Additionally, anonymous tips can be left for investigators by calling 919-296-9555 or using the See it, Say it, Send it app and website.

 

Photo via the Hillsborough Police Department.


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