PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM BUSINESSES String of Burglaries in Monroe County


Monday, February 20, 5:45 p.m.
By Rosa Yum

Computers, cameras and cash have been stolen from businesses along one highway in the Poconos. One burglary after another has businesses owners in that part of Monroe County on edge.

Police confirm eight businesses have been hit since Friday. Now investigators are trying to figure out if all the break-ins are related. Some store owners said there were more break-ins, all of along Route 209.

Workers at Assist2Sell in Chestnuthill Township were busy fixing the damage Monday. When office manager Julie Miller got to work Saturday morning she found a mess.

"They just tore the whole place apart. They broke into the stamp drawers, they broke all through here, every drawer was open. I mean when you walked this was just totally disassembled. They had our servers unplugged because when we came in we couldn't get on the computer so they probably were going to try and get the computers but those are the stairs they had to go down. We think it might have been too much," Miller said.

She said the burglars came in a door that is also the entrance to Rising Phoenix Martial Arts Academy, which got hit as well.

On the same night Assist2Sell was burglarized, Paradise Tanning and Mobile Edge at the Monroe Plaza were also burglarized. They are about two miles away from Assist2Sell.

The workers at nearby Century 21 Harvest Real Estate discovered Sunday morning they too were hit.
"Thank God, like I said, nobody got hurt but you know it's just upsetting," said owner Ralph Horlbeck. He added cash isn't kept in the office but four computers were stolen. "The main thing is that they took our server which really, really gives us a problem because all our records, back histories, financials, everything is in that computer. So we'll have to rebuild that."

Other businesses along Route 209 south, including Oasis Car Wash, Frable's Meat and Bono's Pizza had the back doors pried open and were burglarized.

Police believe the break-ins may be connected. There are no suspects so far. Business owners hope the culprits will be caught soon.