Crime

One arrested after van used to smash into KC businesses

A vehicle went through the front of the Family Dollar store at 82nd Terrace and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, causing damage to the building in a burglary early Thursday morning.
A vehicle went through the front of the Family Dollar store at 82nd Terrace and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, causing damage to the building in a burglary early Thursday morning. jledford@kcstar.com

Thieves used a work van to smash their way into two Kansas City businesses early Thursday.

The incidents occurred just minutes apart and Kansas City police arrested one suspect after they interrupted one of the crimes in progress.

The first break-in occurred about 12:20 a.m. Thursday at the Waterway car wash at 85th Street and State Line Road. Officers responded to an alarm call at the business and saw the front windows broken in. They also saw tire tracks leading up to the window.

The officers reviewed the business’s surveillance video and saw that a white van had been used to crash through the windows. Nothing appeared to have been taken, police said.

About six minutes later, other officers spotted a burglary in progress at a Family Dollar store at 82nd Street and Troost Avenue.

They saw that a white work van had been used to knock in a large hole next to the store’s entrance. A damaged ATM was next to the van. Two men dressed in black took off running when they saw police. The officers caught one of them, but the other escaped.

Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 9:47 AM with the headline "One arrested after van used to smash into KC businesses."

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