Store
break-in under investigation
in East Lincoln
September
28, 2011(Denver) – Lincoln
County Sheriff’s detectives and
patrol officers are investigating
another store break-in in eastern
Lincoln County.
The latest occurred at 2:09 a.m.
Tuesday when a customer at a nearby
convenience store told the clerk that
someone was breaking into the Shop
and Save store at 7375 Highway 73.
The clerk called 911 and deputies
were dispatched to the scene.
The witness told officers that while
the clerk called the Communications
Center he stood in the parking lot
and observed two men break the glass
out of the door, enter the business
then come out later pulling a large
trash can. The trash can filled with
cigarettes and money taken from the
business were loaded into a white van
and the vehicle fled the scene.
Deputies noticed a white van matching
the description of the suspect
vehicle a short time later and gave
chase south on Highway 16 but the
driver turned off all the lights on
the vehicle and disappeared as it
entered Gaston County. Gaston County
was called for assistance but
officers could not locate the van.
Investigation into the break-in
revealed that cigarette cases were
broken and a large number of cartons
of cigarettes were taken along with
an undisclosed amount of money from
the store safe. The vehicle used in
the break-in was described as a white
work van.
It’s the third convenience store
break-in in the area in the last
eight days. On September 19 similar
break-ins occurred at Beach’s
Grocery in the 7800 block of Highway
73 and Dollar General at 1299 South
NC 16. In the first two break-ins the
suspects used a white four-door
pickup truck.
Anyone with information about the
incident is asked to call the Lincoln
County Sheriff’s Office at
704-732-9050 or Crimestoppers at
704-736-8909. Anonymous tips leading
to an arrest in any crime may be
eligible for a reward of up to
$1,000.
