Burglar Cuts Hole in Wall at Hawkeye Downs

By Jeff Raasch

Hawkeye Downs Executive Director Roy Nowers (left) and Ron Johnson, of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, stand over a safe after the race track office was burglarized, this morning, Thursday, July 9, 2009. Nothing was taken from the safe, but an office was ransacked and a hole was cut in an exterior wall so someone could get inside. (Jeff Raasch/The Gazette)

Tools

By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Jul 9, 2009 at 10:09 AM CST

Story Updated: Jul 9, 2009 at 10:38 AM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS - At least one burglar cut a hole to get inside the office at Hawkeye Downs Speedway and tried unsuccessfully to break into a safe overnight.

Business manager Karla Sibert discovered the aftermath around 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning when she opened up. Near the front door was the large safe, tipped over on its side.

Whoever broke in used a tool to cut a hand-sized hole in the side of the metal safe, but none of the money inside was missing.

"We think they gassed themselves out (while cutting the safe), because they opened a window," said Roy Nowers, executive director at the race track.

The safe was in Sibert's office. It looks obvious that whoever broke in knew where it was, judging from the hole that was cut through a back wall of the office. It was just big enough to crawl through.

The large, heavy safe, was wheeled out of the office, toward the front door, where it was tipped over.

"They cut a hole in the wall and the doors they ripped off or kicked off," Nowers said.

The office was locked around 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sibert said. She said police were working security nearby late into the evening.

The business office was ransacked. Two adjacent offices were untouched.

"They knew what they were after," Sibert said.

Police investigators dusted for fingerprints and were starting their investigation.

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