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A brick through the front glass door is
all that an early Sunday morning burglar apparently needed to get
stocked up on smokes at Freddie's Short Stop in DeLeon. The new $1 per
pack state tax on cigarettes may have provided some of the incentive.
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WHERE
THE BREAK-IN OCCURRED. A brick thrown through a glass door at
Freddie's Short Stop is the reason for the temporary plywood
replacement. |
Store employee Jeanell Mathis noticed the
front door was broken out when she drove up to the old gas station on
the "S" Curve on Texas Street at around 6:40 a.m. Not having a cell
phone, Mathis drove up to the Allsups at the top of the hill to place
a call to DeLeon Police and to the store owners, Freddie and Curtis
Sadberry.
By the time the Sadberrys arrived, two
DeLeon PD officers, Dustin Paulsen and Waverly Inman, were on the
scene. There was no sign of the smash and grab burglar, however.
Also missing was around 15 cartons and
several individual packs of Marlboro Light cigarettes, wholesale
valued at around $600. The burglar was apparently uninterested in the
other cigarette brands, as many nearby were left untouched. No other
merchandise or cash was reported to have been missing.
An early morning delivery man was
contacted and reported that everything was in order when he dropped
off newspapers at around 6:00 a.m., so the timeframe for the burglary
is well determined.
Store owner and namesake, Freddie
Sadberry, said that the burglar was apparently a small person or
persons, as a good portion of the door glass remained in place and the
opening used for entry was not large. He, she or they were also
apparently in a big hurry, or scared off, because one of the cartons
of Marlboro Lights was dropped on the floor and never picked up.
The metal frame front door was apparently
damaged beyond the broken glass, as it is now sprung and not properly
fitting in its frame.
The matter remains under investigation.
Persons having knowledge of anyone possessing or attempting to sell a
large supply of Marlboro Light cigarettes are urged to contact the
DeLeon Police. |
