One day after Riverside County Hemet Station Commander Capt. Scot Collins and staff addressed a capacity Idyllwild crowd about a property crime spike, burglars hit the American Legion. Legion Commander Ron Draper confirmed that burglars broke through two back windows sometime after Legion staff had closed the facility at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 25. Hemet Station Special Investigations Supervisor Sgt. Wallace Clear confirmed that a responding deputy collected evidence at the scene.
Damage, according to Draper, consisted of broken glass and torn window screens. An empty cash register and a “Girls Night Out” tip jar, containing around $300, were taken. The tips are used to fund mini-vacations for women bartenders and servers, according to Draper.
Burglars unsuccessfully attempted to take the ATM. They brought tools to cut security bolts. Draper concluded that burglars were wearing gloves because of the streaks rather than prints on the windows. They also left footprints. At least one of the burglars wore very large shoes, based on prints at the scene. Several other clues were left which investigators are pursuing.
Anyone with information on this crime should call Sgt. Clear at (951) 659-3412.
dang it ! that's LOW, stealing a tip jar from hard working people. It makes sense that they would steal the cash register and try to break into it off site. There was an old Clint Eastwood movie about stealing a safe from a cowboy bank, where they did that with dynamite. Probably the ATM is what they were really after. I would think they had a truck with a flat bed, if they were planning to haul an ATM. may be they had a dolly too. The big shoes clue… didn't the other report say that the liquor store robber was a big guy?
Going to end this post with a positive spin, I'm glad no shots were fired and no one was harmed.
To the robber, if you are reading this: We think you have a very very small pickle, to steal from a tip jar.
You've got a long list of people you have either fired,barred or banned for life, some of these people did nothing, some of them uncovered theft from the employees and officers of the Legion and were banned for uncovering such things. I would gather to say that this crime is a very small one compared to what goes on behind those doors.
You'd have to be a neighbor to know the routine of the employees and officers at American Legion…Maybe someone as close as right across the street.