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Another Washington business burglarized

2 min read
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A store on Highland Avenue was broken into early Friday, making it the fourth business burglary reported to Washington police in less than a week.

The Smoke Shop, 52 Highland Ave., was the fourth business to be burglarized. The Mega Express (Exxon), just a few blocks away at the intersection of Murtland and Ridge avenues, was broken into in the early morning hours Saturday and Sunday. The Uni-Mart, 500 N. Main St., was burglarized early Sunday.

The 911 center received a motion alarm from the Smoke Shop and dispatched city police at 1 a.m. Friday. Officers arrived within two minutes of receiving the call. A 911 dispatcher also notified the business owner, who quickly responded to the scene.

Police said an air-conditioning unit on the east side of the building had been pushed into the building. Found on the ground leading away from the building was a roll of cash register tape. Another piece of register tape was found between buildings at 56 and 62 Highland.

Hedge trimmers with a red handle also were found outside, just below where the burglar would have entered the building.

The owner told police the only thing that appeared to be missing was the cash register, which contained an unknown amount of money. Police are trying to determine if there is any surveillance video available in the area.

The burglary at the shop is similar to the break-ins at the Mega Express last weekend. That store also was burglarized June 27. In all three break-ins, the burglar entered the store through a hole created when ductwork was removed on the side of the building.

The front glass door at the Uni-Mart was shattered so the burglar could enter that building. Lt. Dan Stanek said police are trying to determine if there is a connection among the four burglaries. Anyone with information on any of the burglaries is asked to call police at 724-223-4226.

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