MOORESVILLE (WTHR) - Mooresville Police say they have made two arrests in connection with the theft of a donation box that was used to help with a child's medical costs.
They say they executed a search warrant Monday afternoon.
Police did not release the names of the suspects.
________
ORIGINAL STORY:
A frustrating crime in Mooresville has police looking for a man who stole a collection box from a UPS store. The crime was caught on surveillance video.
The theft happened on Saturday when a man and woman walked into the UPS store on Town Center Drive. The pair distracted employees and waited until the room was clear. The man then stole the donation box and walked out the door.
The store's owner, Nick Cragen, believes the box contained about $150 in cash. The money was meant to help doctors in Oregon find a cure for Cragen's five-year-old daughter Amelia. She suffers from a rare neurological disorder called PKAN.
"It's just the thought of it and every penny counts in this case, because they have no money to research this, so what we give is everything. That's all they have," Cragen said.
PKAN can cause problems walking and seeing.
"It blocks nutrients and oxygen to part of her brain and so it's pretty bad stuff," Cragen said.
Because the disease is so rare, there is little money for research. Amelia's family, along with the Mooresville community, have raised more than $50,000 to help doctors find a cure.
"I'll never quit. Absolutely without question. We're going to cure it," Cragen said.
Part of that money they raise comes from the two collection boxes at Cragen's UPS store in Mooresville. Typically, the boxes collect about $300 every two weeks.
Cragen wants the thieves to know exactly what they stole.
"You took a piece of my little girl," Cragen said. "I hope you get help because we'll find you, and I hope you can get help to fix whatever is wrong with you. I don't see how anybody could do such a thing."
Cragen says though he is hurt by the theft, he plans to fight even harder to help his daughter.
"We're going to cure my little girl," Cragen said.
After this story aired, controversial hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli took to Twitter to offer his support for the Cragen family.
Shkreli later spoke with Cragen and streamed the conversation live on Periscope. He said he wanted to replace the stolen money "and then some."
"I don't know you and I don't know your little girl, but to me, every patient that has PKAN is part of my family," Shkreli said. "I'd like to come down there and personally fill your box up with cash. Especially around Christmastime, this is crazy."
Several other people from across the nation have also reached out looking to help the family.
Cragen told Shkreli police have identified the suspect in the theft and are working on a warrant for his arrest.
"I want to do everything I can for this illness, cause I think it's just so gosh darn simple to fix it," Shkreli said.
On Thursday, police said they had two persons of interest in the case, but that no arrests had been made.
If you recognize the people in the surveillance video, call Mooresville Police at (317) 831-3434.
To learn more about PKAN and how to help find a cure for Amelia, click here or here.
