By Joe Johnson
Lottery tickets and cigarettes valued at over $5,000 were during a recent burglary of a south Athens, convenience store, according to an Athens-Clarke County police report.
The break-in at Food Mart, 315 Macon Highway, occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday when someone smashed the front glass door of the business, according to the report.
The owner discovered the burglary upon arriving for work at 10 a.m. Thursday, but the report noted that surveillance video camera footage from a neighboring business placed the time of the incident at about 2:30 a.m.
Multiple muddy footprints were located outside Food Mart.
The owner reported 10 rolls of scratch-off lottery ticket valued at $5,000 had been stolen, along with seven packs of Newport cigarettes with a total value of $100 and “important business information,” according to the report.
Police asked that anyone with information about the burglary contact Detective Brian O’Neil at (762) 400-7375.
A Crime Stoppers reward is being offered for information leading to the identification and arrest of the burglar(s).
Anonymous tips can be made to the Crime Stoppers confidential tip line at (706) 705-4775.