Burglar targets synthetic marijuana again

By Rusty Murry

Nevada Daily Mail

A recent increase in burglaries, including one that again focused on synthetic marijuana, has Vernon County Sheriff Ron Peckman and some of his staff working overtime. According to Peckman there is no "rhyme or reason" to the rash of thefts except that they seem to be happening in the western portions of the county.

During another break-in last weekend at the Deerfield Phillips 66, at 1157 Old Town Road, just east of the Kansas state line, a lone burglar took more than a dozen packets of the product often called K-2 which is sold as potpourri, but smoked like the illicit drug marijuana.

The same store was targeted in May, when thieves made off with 70 packets of the substance.

Peckman said deputies responded to a call from the store's security service in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 21, and found that the burglar had broken the glass out of the lower half of the front door. The man entered the building, went directly behind the counter where the product is kept and "dumped them into his shirt and left."

Surveillance cameras captured the entire incident and the suspect is described as a white man, about 30 years old, wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeved green shirt and a black ball cap with the word security printed on it in raised letters. The suspect wore gloves and had a red bandana over his face. He is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs an estimated 280 pounds, according to Peckman.

The store's alarm also went off early Sunday morning, but deputies arrived to find nothing. Peckman said his deputies stayed in the area in hopes the perpetrators would return. No one ever showed up, but deputies were kept busy just the same. They also were called to a residence on south BB Highway, where some coins had been stolen. The residence showed no signs of forced entry.

The burglaries near the state line and on BB Highway are just a couple of the incidents that have taken place this month. Peckman said several incidents in the western part of the county "makes me believe they may be people coming in from out in Kansas," to commit these crimes. So far this month, the Vernon County Sheriff's Office has investigated about a half a dozen burglaries between the city of Nevada and the state line.

One of them was a home invasion north of Richards during which the residents awoke to the sound of someone in their home. Peckman said that the residents "heard a young male voice

say, 'oh (expletive deleted) someone's here.'" Peckman said the residents also heard another voice say, "do not come out." The perpetrators gained access to the home through the window of a locked door and later left without being seen; but not before taking a wallet, some personal identification, a knife, a gallon of orange drink and some fireworks.

In another incident, it was discovered that burglars had entered a home near the intersection of Highway 43 and U.S. 54 on July 13 when residents woke up and "noticed a door that was unsecured." In that case criminals took some purses, currency, a checkbook, some credit cards and other personal things, such as a Social Security card, while residents were in the home.

Another home between Deerfield and Richards was burglarized on July 15 and residents report a television and handgun among the items missing.

In another incident on 200 Road, near the state line, thieves took several electronic items including a television, camcorder and DVD player as well as some coins and jewelry.

Peckman said that talking with law enforcement officials in other jurisdictions has shown him that Vernon County is not the only county that has seen an increase in this type of crime. He thinks it is linked to the slow economy, and he said, "I think it's going to get worse."

Peckman did offer some suggestions for people to help protect themselves and their belongings. First of all "lock your stuff up," he said. Thieves love an unlocked door and one that is locked may keep them at the scene long enough to mean the difference between getting away with property or getting caught. Peckman also said Vernon Countians should be aware of what's going on around the home and area.

"Change up your routine," he said, get to "know your neighbors."

The sheriff also recommended that people pay attention to the vehicles in their area.

"Write down tag numbers," from strange vehicles and "call them into us," he said.

Peckman said people also should record serial numbers from anything that has one and mark items that don't have a number. Doing so makes locating stolen property easier and facilitates getting it back to the rightful owner.

Residents also shouldn't let mail pile up, and residents who have to be away from home for an extended period can make a call to the sheriff's office and they will arrange to do periodic checks on the property.

For now, Peckman said his deputies are saturating different areas of the county at different times in order to deter this activity and hopefully catch the criminals in the act.

"We're doing everything we can," he said.