Police probe break-in at gas station
Someone broke into the BP gas station in Uniontown overnight on Sunday, leaving behind a trail of shattered glass and lottery tickets, prompting a city police investigation. Uniontown city police responded to the gas station along Morgantown Street around 3 a.m. Sunday after a caller reported hearing glass breaking at the location.
Police said while on the way to the gas station, they phoned the Fayette County 911 Center, which reported no alarm activations received at the location.
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered a shattered front window.
After a search of the interior of the building, police concluded that someone attempted to shatter the front door by hitting it with a blunt object, which is believed to be a rock found on the floor of the store.
Police said when the door glass did not shatter, the culprit threw the rock through the front window and gained access into the store from that window.
The culprit then jumped over the counter and removed several “Keep on Scratching It” $2 lottery tickets, police added.
The person then attempted to exit via the front door, leaving what appeared to be a right palm print on the door as well as three fingerprints on the opposing door, police said.
Police said that the culprit exited through the window since the door to the store was found to still be locked.
Police discovered a strip of four of the same stolen lottery tickets outside the store near the kerosene pumps. The tickets were secured for possible prints, police said.
Damage to the store was determined to be the front glass smashed by a rock and the cash register struck by the same rock as the rock traveled through the store. Also, display cases were knocked over upon the entry or exit of those responsible of the crime, police said.
Police contacted Mary Ann Cornell, district supervisor of the BP station, and advised her of the incident.
On the surveillance tape, police observed someone enter the store, jump over the counter and remove several lottery tickets from under the counter. The person then jumped over the counter and ran toward the door, police noted.
Police described the person as either white or light-skinned and wearing a dark dew rag, a dark short-sleeved shirt, dark shorts and athletic shoes.
Police secured the store with crime scene tape and notified city police detective, Jason Cox, of the incident.