Associated Press
EUGENE, Ore. — Police were searching Tuesday for vandals who trashed the new county headquarters of the American Red Cross, postponing a move into the building.
The damage — including smashed windows, dismantled appliances and furniture tossed from a balcony — could cost as much as $500,000 to repair, but insurance should cover the loss, said Jenny Carrick, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross of Lane County.
The chapter had planned to move to the $1.67 million building Wednesday, Carrick said. It wasn’t known how long the transition would be put off.
Sometime over the weekend, vandals plugged toilets and sinks and ran thousands of gallons of water that wrecked carpeting on both floors and soaked through ceiling tiles. Profane messages were found on walls and glue left behind by construction workers was smeared on thermostats.
Chairs, tables, a television and a VCR were thrown from a second floor balcony. A dishwasher was destroyed. Drawers were torn from cabinets.
Police found no evidence immediately linking the crime to the nonprofit organization’s high-profile role in collecting donations for the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, or the controversial decision to use some of that money for other causes.
"At this point, I don’t think we have any evidence to either give that credence or discount it," said Jan Powers, a Eugene police spokeswoman.
Powers said the profane messages did not include any political statements.
Police collected some physical evidence at the scene and are hoping tips from the community will help find the vandals, she said. No arrests have been made.
Carrick said the Red Cross had worked 10 years to move to the new headquarters.
"It seems it would take an awful lot of hate to do this much damage to a place devoted to doing good," she said.
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