Alexandria police say thieves tried to make off with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit in a 600 block Franklin St. parking garage overnight October 17 and 18.

Police don’t know how the thieves dismounted the unit or why they targeted the machine, but the suspects gave up before hauling it outside of the garage, said Ashley Hildebrandt, department spokeswoman. The unit was damaged in the ordeal. 

Officials did not speculate about the value of the piece of equipment or the cost of damages. Why the suspects gave up also remains unclear, but Hildebrandt described the unit as “large and heavy.”

An employee of a nearby restaurant reported the incident about 10:54 a.m. October 18. There was no surveillance footage or witnesses to the attempted theft. 

Authorities do not have suspect descriptions, though the incident remains under investigation.