Burglaries Plague Columbia Co.

STARBUCK - Recent burglaries in Starbuck and Dayton are creating a feeling of insecurity in Columbia County.

According to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, it has taken 13 reports of residential burglary and 13 reports of commercial burglary in 2012 as of March 15. Two of these commercial burglaries occurred in Starbuck.

This number is high so early in the year compared to the annual numbers of burglaries reported in 2011 and 2010.

In 2011, the sheriff's office received a total of 34 reports of residential burglary and 13 reports of commercial burglary. Four of these commercial burglaries occurred on Highway 261 in or near Starbuck.

In 2010, the sheriff's office received a total of 41 reports of residential burglary and 12 reports of commercial burglary.

Sheriff Walt Hessler gives two reasons for the spike in local burglaries.

"I believe the increased number of break-ins in our area has to do with the economy and the practice of giving criminals early release from the penitentiary," said Columbia County Sheriff Walt Hessler. "We plan to move forward in our investigations into these recent cases and continue to be alert to what's going on in our communities."

Most recently, the Rawhide Bar & Grill in Starbuck was broken into. Owner Dan Sanderlin said he and his wife Mary Jo closed up the restaurant Monday night, March 12, about 8:30 p.m. The Rawhide is closed on Tuesdays, but the pair decided to go check on their restaurant about 12:30 p.m. the next day.

Sanderlin said he entered his restaurant to find the ATM machine had been broken. It was clear the burglar had broken a window on the side of the building to get inside, he said. The offender had never gotten into the ATM machine, which was a blessing because Sanderlin said they keep all of the money from the restaurant in it as well as the money that it dispenses.

"The cops said they spent quite a bit of time on that ATM machine," Sanderlin said.

The burglar left without any cash, but did take an 18-pack of cans of beer and cigarettes.

It will cost the pair $1,500 for a new ATM machine.

"It could have been a lot worse," Sanderlin said.

The break-in at the Rawhide happened less than a week after a break-in was reported at the Lyon's Ferry Marina. On March 7, entry made into the marina by breaking kitchen window. Cigarettes, beer and cash were reported stolen, no suspects have been identified and this crime is still under investigation

There are not yet any suspects in the break-in at the Rawhide, Sanderlin said. He helped the sheriff's deputies dust for prints and since then, they've mostly been cleaning up. Sanderlin and his wife opened the restaurant in Starbuck about one year ago. He said he had some odd feelings Sunday and Monday that something bad was going to happen, but he never imagined this.

"I was shocked," Sanderlin said. "Ninety percent of the people in town are shocked somebody would do that. It really threw us through a loop. This is our home."

But there's no way that he and his wife are going to shut their doors.

"We'll make it," he said. "We'll keep going."