Police investigate break-ins at 3 Boardman car dealerships

By Denise Dick

Cash and a laptop computer were reported stolen.

BOARDMAN — Police are investigating break-ins at three township car dealerships where cash and other items were stolen.

Employees at Acura of Boardman, Boardman-Canfield Road, and Stadium Lincoln Mercury Mazda and Toyota of Boardman, both on Market Street, arrived at work Wednesday morning to find the businesses broken into.

Police believe the crimes are related, likely perpetrated by the same people, Chief Jack Nichols said.

A rear door at Acura had been pried open. Two interior doors of the business also were pried open and a sliding-glass window removed to access an office. Nothing was reported missing.

An interior door had been kicked in and a footprint left on the door at Stadium. Employees found drawers in an office open and rifled through and reported a laptop computer and cash taken. The suspects entered the building by prying open an exterior door.

Cash also was stolen from Toyota, where employees found that a saw had been used to cut the lock on a door to the service department and access a cashier’s drawer. An employee found a rear garage door was unlatched, and that appeared to be where the thieves got into the building.

Late last year, police in Salem encountered a similar crime.

On Oct. 10, someone broke into Donnell Ford Lincoln Mercury on Continental Drive there.

“They ransacked the offices and went through the filing cabinets,” said Salem Detective Dave Talbert.

Cash was taken. Police believe the thieves entered the business through a window near the service department, the detective said.

denise_dick@vindy.com