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Photo by Alex Gambill click image to enlarge

By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net

Burglars who broke into six businesses in the North Summit Street area early this morning apparently stopped their spree when an alarm sounded at Skyline Corporation.

"That may have been the last place hit," Arkansas City Police Chief Sean Wallace said today.

Three investigative teams including seven police officers were at work this morning taking photos of the crime scenes and gathering evidence.

Wallace said anyone with information leading to the arrest of the burglars can get a reward of up to $1,000 by calling in the information to Crimestoppers, 442-7777, or (620) 221-7777.

The burglars broke glass and kicked in doors to gain entry to two automobile dealerships, an optometrist's office, insurance agency, financial services office and Skyline, a builder of manufactured homes and modular homes.

Skyline Corporation division manager Roy Pepper said an audible alarm at Skyline sounded at 5:10 a.m. The alarm service immediately notified police and the company's production manager.

Pepper said the burglars threw a flower pot into an east window to try to gain entry. The pot was placed outside the shop and used for disposing cigarette butts.

"I guess that set off the alarm. That was pretty nervy," Pepper said. "As best we can tell, nothing is missing."

The burglars may have targeted vending machines at the manufacturing plant, he said.

That also apparently was the case at Reedy Ford, where the burglars gained entry by taking a window out of the south shop doors.

"They broke open a pop machine and tried to open a safe," said Bruce Suckley, salesman at the dealership. "They used one of our pry bars."

Suckley said they took some change out of the pop machine, but probably didn't get much. "The pop gal was just here," he said.

He and managers of other local businesses that were broken into wondered why the burglars would target their stores. "No business keeps a lot of money around anyway," Suckley said.

The burglars also broke glass near the front entrance of Zeller Motor Company. Police at the scene said they would not discuss the method used by the burglars.

Several blocks south, in the 500 block of North Summit, the burglars hit three businesses on the east side of the street; Abbey Eye Care, State Farm Insurance and Farm Bureau Financial Service.

About 9 a.m., Westar Energy workers were restoring electricity to the eye care center after the burglars apparently tore off an electrical box at the rear of the business, said optometrist, Dr. Stewart Abbey.

Abbey would not discuss what the burglars took but said the business was basically intact.

Burglars shattered a glass door at the rear of the business to gain entry, said Laurie Fox, lab technician.

Next door, they broke out a side window and climbed into the State Farm Insurance agency, said Mike Dobson, owner.

"I was expecting to see vandalism and stuff scattered, but it wasn't," he said. "They broke into a secretary's desk and took maybe $10."

The burglars cut telephone wires to the business, he added.

Jill Hunter, of Farm Bureau, said the burglars kicked in a door. "I don't know whether they got in yet," she said at the scene. "We came into work at 8:30 and police were already here. They had orange flags set up to keep everybody out."

Above: Lt. Mark McCaslin, right, and Sgt. Luke Larson, of the Arkansas City Police Department, investigate the scene of a burglary today at Abbey Eye Care on North Summit Street. Burglar(s) also broke into State Farm Insurance, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Zeller Motors, Reedy Ford and Skyline Corporation.