Burglar
leaves
empty
handed
By CARL E. HARTDEGEN
Staff Writer
WESTFIELD – A burglar apparently went to considerable effort but had nothing to show for his trouble when he left after rifling professional offices on Broad Street Tuesday night.
City police report that a 6:50 a.m. caller reported on Wednesday that his dental office had been broken into overnight. Officer Douglas Lavalley was the first officer to respond and was backed up within seconds by officer Christopher Coach.
Lavalley reports that the caller showed him that entry to the building had been made by prying open a door. Inside the burglar pried open the door to the dentist’s office and, finding a safe in the outer office, pried that open too.
However, the safe contained only cancelled check as no money is kept in the office, the caller said.
The dentist also told Lavalley that he does not have any drugs on the premises so the burglar could not have stolen any.
An attorney who also has his office in the building found that his door had been pried open too and his office had been rifled.
The attorney told Lavalley that he keeps nothing of value in the office and, as far as he was able to tell immediately, nothing was stolen.
In an apparently unrelated incident, a Washington Street optometrist’s office was also burgled.
The crime was reported to police at 9:03 a.m. and the doctor told the responding officer, Dermot Hurley, that there were no signs of forcible entry so he believes the culprit may have a key.
Hurley was told that the doctor first noticed something was amiss when he found that the shades he normally leaves open had been closed in his absence and then found that the computer he usually leaves on had been turned off.
The optometrist told Hurley that he does not keep any cash or medications in the office and said that two computers, a radio and a flat screen television had not been stolen. A digital camera valued at $150, however, was found to be missing.
The doctor was advised to change the locks.
Investigations into both crimes by members of the detective bureau will continue.
Carl E. Hartdegen can be reached at [email protected]
