PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Burglars tunneled through drywall to enter a Sprint store late Sunday night or early Monday morning in Northeast Portland.
The building that houses the Sprint store on NE Halsey Street and 40th Avenue had a smashed breaker box when Pacific Power crews arrived on scene to restore power. It was then they realized burglars had tunneled through drywall to get into the store.
A Sprint employee told KOIN 6 News they’re used to hearing or seeing cellphone smash-and-grabs, but this was a first.
Shaun Swarz, who works at Baja Fresh, said he got to work around 8 a.m. “I was the only one here, and I found out there was no power. I called my boss.”
His boss called Pacific Power.
“They got into the back entrance area where they noticed a hole” on the back side of the building, he told KOIN 6 News.
Somehow, the thief or thieves got into a room, knocked out all the power, shut down alarms and security cameras.
But, employees said, it appears the thief’s heart was set on a safe at the Sprint store. So, to get in, the thief tunneled his way through the back, through the drywall and into the store.
The safe was not cracked open, but some phone accessories were taken.
That’s it.
The destructive entrance cost more than the items that were stolen.
Investigators told KOIN 6 News power crews who spotted the damage and the hole freaked out when they thought they spotted the suspect as they looked through the hole. Instead what they actually saw was a life-size poster of the “Can You Hear Me Now?” guy.
The suspects are on the loose and police are investigating.
Filed under: Crime, Editor's Pick, Multnomah County, Portland, Top Video
