Twelve Carson City businesses have been burglarized in the past month, and in most cases the suspect has entered through a broken window or door, prompting officials to believe they are related, said Sheriff Ken Furlong on Friday.
About 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the alarms sounded at Nevada Power Products in the 3600 block of Highway 50 East. Within nine minutes a burglar had broke out a window made off with 11 generators.
On Thursday morning, True Value Hardware discovered a burglar entered the business after breaking out the glass in a side door and stole 19 handguns. On Wednesday morning, employees of the Port of Subs on South Carson Street and Sun King Tint on Sage Street fell victim to a burglar.
Capt. Ken Sandage said that in the Port of Subs burglary, the suspect entered through an unlocked door, but at Sun King, they broke out a window and made off with about $70 in petty cash.
On Jan. 22 at Carson Tahoe Jewelers, someone also entered through a broken window and stole a tray of wedding bands.
Furlong said the rash of burglaries are a high priority for his department, but he is also asking the public to watch for any lurking around businesses at night.
"When driving by, if you see anyone next to a closed business, call us," he said. "We need to reach out to the community and have them be the eyes and ears for us. No call is unwanted."
Sandage offered business owners the following tips to lessen their chances of becoming a victim:
- Make certain surveillance cameras are operating correctly. In most of the recent cases, the surveillance cameras were not working or there were none.
- Empty your cash register and leave your drawer out in the open so a potential burglar can see there is no money there.
- Leave a light on inside the business. Sandage said that will help people to see if anyone is moving around inside a closed business and also work as a deterrent for a burglar.
The Division of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is offering a $5,000 reward for information in the True value Hardware burglary. Anonymous tips can be made to Secret Witness at 322-4900.
- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftonorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.