Published: August 05, 2009 08:58 am      

Trailer with restaurant equipment stolen

Thieves target valuables in cars

BEREA — A trailer loaded with $18,000 in restaurant equipment was reported stolen July 27 from the Berea Mini Mall, according to Capt. Ken Clark, Berea Police spokesperson.

Steam tables and a soft-drink dispenser were among the 12-foot by 7-foot trailer’s contents.

“Thieves generally don’t go after restaurant equipment,” Clark said. “The restaurant business involves a lot of work, and thieves usually aren’t interested in doing much work.”

A NASCAR decal on the white trailer could have misled the thieves, Clark said.

“They may have thought they were getting a trailer full of tools or auto parts,” he said. “They probably didn’t look inside before they hitched it up and drove away.”

Just after 1 a.m. July 31, Berea police arrested a 17-year-old male who they suspect was responsible for stealing values from a least one automobile on North Broadway, and possibly others.

“Someone saw him enter a vehicle and called police,” Clark said. “Officers sent to investigate saw the young man hiding in a line of trees and took him into custody,” he said.

Upon searching the scene, investigators found items taken from the car illegally entered earlier that night. After searching the suspect’s home, other items believed to have been stolen were recovered, Clark said.

The juvenile was lodged in the Fayette County Detention Center, and the investigation continues.

Thefts from vehicles

Since July 22, valuables have been reported stolen from seven vehicles in Berea.

Only one of them was locked.

On July 22, a GPS unit and charger, valued at $190 was reported stolen from a car on Mulberry Trace, and an iPod and other items valued at $170 were taken from a vehicle on Woodchuck Drive.

Items worth $61 were taken July 24 from a vehicle on Pinnacle View Drive.

The following day, items valued at $490 were reported taken from a car parked on Brown Court. The next day, a window was broken to enter a car parked on Chase Court, and a purse containing $850 and other items worth $250 were taken. It was the only locked car reported burglarized.

On July 30, an MP3 player valued at $40 was taken from a vehicle on Brooklyn Boulevard. The next day, items valued at $400 were reported taken from a vehicle on Lester Street.

“I’ve been preaching for years about never leaving valuables in your car and always locking your car, even outside your home,” Clark said. “These burglarized vehicles all were parked outside residences, where the owners thought they were safe. However, thieves have discovered that valuable items such as GPS and audio devices left in vehicles are easily taken from vehicles and sold.”

Other crimes

Someone walked away July 20 with a laptop computer left on a table at Papaleno’s restaurant, Clark said.

The owner left the $1,000 computer on a table, went to the rest room and then stopped to talk to some acquaintances, the police spokesperson said.

“When the owner returned to his table, the laptop was gone,” he said.

A 18-year-old McKee man was arrested July 28 for allegedly selling marijuana in the Blockbuster video store’s parking lot on Prince Royal Drive.

Acting on a tip, police arrested Curtis L. Broughton and charged him with trafficking in marijuana - less than 8 ounces, Clark said. The trafficking charge was based on associated items found in the suspect’s car — a scale and small plastic bags — not the amount of marijuana recovered, he said.

Broughton was lodged in the Madison County Detention Center and released July 29 after posting a $1,000-unsecured, third-party bond.

On Aug. 3, Richard C. Rice, 50, of Paint Lick was stopped on Glades Road and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving on a suspended operator’s license and resisting arrest.

He remained lodged in the detention center Tuesday evening on a $2,500 cash bond.

Bill Robinson can be reached brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.