Police in Scotts Valley are investigating a string of possibly related recent burglaries targeting local retailers over the past two weeks, police said.
The first recent burglary was reported around 5 a.m. on May 23 at Scarborough Ace Hardware at 218 Mt. Hermon Road, according to police.
Arriving officers determined that someone used a vehicle to force open a roll-up door at the rear of the store, police said. Once inside, burglars stole multiple gas chainsaws and trimmers.
Last Tuesday, at about 4:40 a.m., one or more suspects attempted to burglarize a Walgreens store located on the same block as the hardware store, at 210 Mt. Hermon Road, police said.
Store surveillance footage shows that a truck backed into the store's front sliding-glass doors twice, then fled the area. The incident caused major damage to the retailer's doors but it does not appear that anything was taken.
Police believe an ATM machine near the front of the store was the intended target of the attempted burglary. The suspect vehicle was described as a white work truck with a white rear bumper and a ladder rack.
About 30 minutes after that attempted burglary, police responded to an activated alarm at U Save Liquors at 4790 Scotts Valley Drive and found the store's door forced open.
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It appears that the suspect or suspects then took cash and fled, police said.
Anyone with information about these incidents or the suspect vehicle is asked to call Scotts Valley police at (831) 440-5670.
