In a string of burglaries very similar to those last July, thieves hit 10 Schoharie businesses for about $750 sometime early Friday morning.
Thieves struck at a dozen businesses last July taking more than $4,000. Some of the same places were broken into at around 3am Friday, said Schoharie Village Police Chief Harold Orelup.
As of Monday morning, there were no witnesses though someone did hear a dog bark at about 2am, the Chief said.
Police are still sorting out clues and other information from the thefts, the Chief said.
The burglaries are very similar to those from last summer, he said.
Only cash was taken, he said, and no coins or items were stolen. There was little damage in either entry or in the businesses.
The thieves, Chief Orelup said, may have returned to places where they were the most successful last year.
Noting that $750 was taken last week, the Chief said, “They did not get much this time.”
Among the businesses broken into last week were: Generations Antiques on Main Street, where $250 was taken; Ottman and Enders, $34 taken; Gulf station, $200 taken; Joe Bender’s, these three are in the same building on upper Main Street; Russell Langwig’s law office and Berkshire Farms, nothing stolen, both the same building on Grand Street; Century 21 on Main Street; You’re Worth Salon on Main Street, $161 taken; and the Dugout, nothing taken and Collin’s Chiropractic, nothing taken, both in the same building.
There was a little more damage by thieves this year as they entered the businesses, the Chief said. Police are still trying to pin down the point of entry in some of the burglaries.
In some of the entries, there were no characteristic marks while in others, the burglars broke a door or window to get in, the Chief said.
Once inside, the thieves did little damage except to pry open drawers, Chief Orelup said.
He noted that the desk drawer fronts were taken off at Berkshire Farms where thieves got $1,200 last year.
Among the other businesses that were hit twice were Langwig’s, Ottman and Enders and Century 21.
The Chief said that the State Police forensics unit and the Sheriff’s office have been called in to help with the investigation.
The burglaries are another in a series of thefts at area businesses, all with similar characteristics: little damage and only cash taken.
Burglars hit 14 businesses in Cobleskill and the surrounding area on January 20-21, 2007.
Many businesses owners have learned from the prior burglaries and have been emptying their cash drawers at night, Chief Orelup said.