Suspect in Hughes Design Break-in Arrested
Wheeling police arrested Eric McCormick for the Thursday break-in of a National Road business and said he is a suspect in three other crimes at the store.
Deputy Police Chief Martin Kimball said McCormick, 32, of Wheeling, pried his way into a crawl space from exterior of Hughes Design and entered the building through the basement. He then made his way upstairs, but found that a cash box was no longer kept in the building overnight after being stolen during three previous incidents.
In early December, an employee arrived at the business one morning to find the cash box missing, ripped from the wire that attaches it to the computer system. There was no sign of forced entry, however, and the burglar alarm had not been activated.
A missing cash box again was the only sign of burglary when an employee opened the store the following week. After the second incident, business owner Mary Beth Hughes said the door locks were going to be changed and she would be in contact with the alarm company, but she did not believe it was an inside job.
The alarm was effective in notifying police of the third burglary late last month, but it did not stop the suspect from again making off with the firm’s cash box. following that incident, Hughes said video cameras would be installed in the store.
“As a result of reviewing surveillance videos, (McCormick) was positively identified,” Kimball said following the arrest Friday afternoon.
The business has lost several hundred dollars in the crimes. despite the vast amount of merchandise on display, cash was the only thing reported stolen and nothing was reported missing Thursday.
Kimball said McCormick has been charged with breaking and entering in Thursday’s incident and is a suspect in the other three crimes.
