Burglars clean out westside convenience store

By Joe Johnson

A group of burglars last week broke into Variety Mart on Hawthorne Avenue and stole two safes, a cash register and thousand of dollars worth of merchandise.

The commercial burglary happened at around 4:40 a.m. Wednesday when the thieves arrived in a dark-colored Kia Telluride and used a pry bar to open the locked front door.

Dressed all jn black and with hoods pulled over their heads, they went to work removing the safes and register to the SUV, along with cartons of cigarettes and other tobacco products worth thousands.

Police did not disclose how much money was in the safes and cash register, but they themselves had a total value of about $1,500,

An ATM was damaged in a failed attempt to break it open.

When viewing surveillance footage the store owner recognized one of the criminals as a customer was once caught trying to steal diapers, according to police.