Break-in at Salvation Army yields little, leaves facility damaged

The Salvation Army Thrift Store on 10th Avenue was the target of cash-seeking thieves who broke in sometime after closing on Tuesday evening may 21.

Sherry Torres said that when she arrived at the location to open the store on Wednesday morning, she noticed that “the door was ajar and thought this was unusual because we always lock everything up tightly.”

Upon entering, she noticed that there was debris on bags in the backroom.

After realizing that the door had been kicked in, she called the police.

When Torres checked the rest of the store, she saw that the cash register was removed and that it had been taken to the back room and broken into pieces. Nothing else seemed to be disturbed. She said that apparently, the bandit or bandits were only looking for cash.

Torres added that they never leave cash in the store after-hours; bank deposits are always made.

The broken objects will cost money to replace, Torres said; she added that it is sad that someone would resort to this desperation. She said that if someone was that needy, he or she should have just come into the store and asked for help; they (the store employees) would have tried to help.

According to Torres, not only will the door replacement cost money for the building owner, but that in addition to the register costing money for Salvation Army, the store will lose money because they can’t conduct business until the investigation is finished.

Torres said that she didn’t think that this would happen in a small town like Sidney; but apparently, a little town is not exempt, she added.

Surveillance cameras are and have been in place at the facility. Investigators are studying the tapes for possible identities.

They are also looking at the physical evidence for more clues.