SILER CITY — The Durham County Sheriff’s Office is looking for Andre Chaney, the co-owner of A&I Chicken Shack, after he failed to make a court appearance in late August.
Chaney’s restaurant gained notoriety when the restaurant posted a photo of a threatening and racism-filled letter it received to its Facebook page. After Chaney reported the letter to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, it was discovered that he had a warrant for failure to return a rental car in Durham and a court date was set. It appears Chaney missed that date.
The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office has attempted multiple times to contact Chaney “by various means,” according to Sara Pack, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer, but he has not responded.
Pack notes that the investigation into the letter is still ongoing. The letter was submitted for forensic testing and the investigators will “continue to seek answers based on evidence and fact, not opinion or speculation.”
Pack also notes that Sheriff Mike Roberson continues to support the ongoing investigation stating that “as a whole, Chatham County is a very accepting and loving place to live and work, and the public response to this incident has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive.”
“Our residents typically welcome and celebrate diversity, and we encourage all residents to continue to treat each other with kindness, respect, and inclusiveness,” Roberson said. “As law enforcement, we will continue to thoroughly investigate any allegations reported to our staff and will follow the evidence wherever it leads.”
A&I Chicken Shack has remained open as of last week under the leadership of Ivan Santos, who founded the business with Chaney. Santos has not responded to numerous questions and inquiries by the News + Record about Chaney or the restaurant.
Reporter Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.