Thieves take donation money

BONNERS FERRY — A recent theft at a downtown business included more than store money but also donation money for the new playground at Memorial Park.

When closing for the day on Dec. 27, an employee at Huckleberry Variety noticed the safe door was ajar. After looking inside, the employee found all the bills and rolls of quarters missing from the money box used to stock the till.

More than $500 was stolen from the money box and $183 was stolen from the playground donation jar kept in the safe.

Owner Dolly Boling said she doesn’t keep more than $10 in the playground donation jar at the checkout counter because of previous thefts of donation jars.

After reviewing the store’s surveillance tapes, Boling knew a

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man and women came into the store together and worked together. One would distract the employees while the other was in her office and the room with the safe.

“They knew exactly what they wanted to do,” said Boling.

The tapes showed the man and women were in the store for five-and-a-half minutes.

“Surveillance cameras are a great security tool,” said Dolly. “They are the one thing that has given me security.”

Due to the surveillance photos being publicly posted, the 30-year-old man and woman were identified during an arrest of an unrelated drug charge. The suspects have given residence addresses of Montana and Nevada. The names will be released pending formal charges filed with the District Court.