CPD: Burglary Suspects Use Torch To Get At Safe
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Suspects Torch Their Way In
CPD says burglary suspects could be behind more than a dozen local break-ins.
NBC 4
UPDATE: CPD says suspects who broke into a North Side dollar store Thursday morning could be responsible for as many as 13 other recent local burglaries.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Columbus police said suspects who broke into a North Side dollar store Thursday morning could be responsible for as many as 13 other recent local crimes.
NBC 4’s Tom Brockman reported with the FAST FACTS.
Suspects burglarized the Dollar Tree in the Morse Center at Morse Road and Northtowne Boulevard sometime early Thursday morning, CPD said.
Police said officers think the suspects used a cutting torch of some kind to cut holes in both a back overhead door and a safe.
The suspects fled the scene with almost $2,500.
CPD’s burglary sergeant said the suspects may be behind the burglaries and attempted burglariess of as many as 13 other stores.
He said in many of the cases, torches were used to cut through garage doors or sides of buildings.
The series of burglaries began a couple of weeks ago on the city’s West Side, moved to the South Side and now the North Side.
He also said many of the burglaries happened overnight.
No one was injured in Thursday’s incident.
NBC 4 caught up with Ellis Lane with Lane’s Overhead Doors as he began to repair the overhead door at the Dollar Tree.
He said the damaged door looked exactly like a door he repaired Monday at another Dollar Tree near West Broad and South Wilson roads on the city’s West Side.
“The hole looks exactly the same,” he said.
Wilson Detty works just a few doors down from the latest scene.
He said he can’t believe the suspects weren’t caught.
“It kind of concerns me when you see something like this going on in the area,” he said. “The security around here, they’re pretty good. They’re around here all the time. I’m just amazed they got in and got out that quick without somebody seeing them,“ Detty said.
CPD continued to investigate, but detective were being tight-lipped about the crime locations and details.
If you have any information on these burglaries, you were encouraged to call Columbus police at 614-645-4545.
For additional information on this developing story, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com—Where Accuracy Matters.
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Reader Reactions
Don’t blame the police for things gone wrong. None of us pays attention to what is going on around us. Be aware. A work truck driving up at any time and men getting out and welding or using a torch would not make us look twice. We just think some one is fixing something or installing something.We all need to be aware and suspecious.
I would not blame the police for not doing their jobs. I think we need to change the way we look at things. Some times a theif does not work under cover but in the light. No one pays attention to anything anymore. A work truck could drive up and men get out in broad day light and start welding something or using a torch and who would think anything of it? Your first reaction would be the place of business is upgrading it’s security system or something. We all need to be alert and don’t take anything for granite.
Yea real funny the back of the store is more visible than the front and no one sees anything.My girl works at the Dollar General in the same center and the crime there is getting bad also and CPD hardly ever reponds to there calls either.The Crime in the Morse/Karl Area is horrible.With a sub station in the middle with ineffective police officers maybe lay offs isn’t a bad idea at least get rid of the ineffective officers.Funny also how a body floats in a pond less than a quarter mile from the same sub station for how many days? is it possible that the CPD is experiencing a slight “Blue Flu” prior to the levy date? Didn’t the mayor claim that if the levy failed all he__ would break loose the next day? Well it already has.Just listen to your tax dollars on the CPD scanner [found on scanamerica.com]and listen to how many criminals that get away from them.Columbus isn’t better than anywhere else ....it’s worse!
Great Police work!! Use a blow torch at night and no one saw a thing. Just another reason I won’t vote for the tax hike the Columbus Police don’t do anything so if we have less on the street what matter is it going to make? NONE
And just think how it will be when they make the budget cuts. And you know they will even if the tax increase passes!
...no alarm system? I’m sure it took some time to get in using a torch. The local cops let too much go on in those places as it is…as an insider at one time I can’t believe you don’t see more raids.
I hope someone at CPD has the good sense to look for the suspects at the local strip clubs. They should be easy to spot, with a fistfull of charred $1 bills…
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