No arrests in Clintonville’s wave of thefts
By Scott Bellile
A Clintonville arson-burglary and a wave of theft from cars are believed to be unrelated, Clintonville Police Chief Terry Lorge said.
Two 14-year-old boys are in custody and await a court appearance for the arson-burglary that occurred at 150 West 13th Street on Thursday, Oct. 15, Lorge said. He could not name the suspects because they are juveniles.
At 5:35 p.m. Thursday, the Clintonville Fire Department was called to the home where arson, extensive property damage and burglary had taken place, according to the Clintonville Police Department’s daily press log.
Nobody was home at the time the arson-burglary took place and there were no injuries, Lorge said. He gave an early estimate of around $100,000 worth of property damage. Many items were smashed inside the home.
There were also 11 reported thefts from unlocked vehicles that took place Wednesday night or early Thursday morning on the west side of town. Those don’t appear to be linked to the same suspects, Lorge said.
No suspects are in custody as of early Friday afternoon.
The break-ins were reported between 3 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Lorge said no thefts were reported on Friday as of 11 a.m., but he believes additional thefts that took place Thursday have not been reported to police.
Clintonville police have two suspects in mind based on property left at the scene of a theft, Lorge said. Police also found a bicycle left behind that Lorge suspects was stolen.
Vehicles parked in driveways and on the street were robbed. Residents reported missing valuables including purses and keys, Lorge said.
“We need people to lock their cars up. They can’t leave them sitting unlocked,” Lorge said.
Around 10:15 p.m. Thursday on Torrey Street, a resident chased off a thief during an attempted vehicle break-in. No thefts were reported since then.