Spatanburg police investigating wave of medical office break-ins

Investigators in Spartanburg are trying to connect a growing wave of break-ins targeting medical offices.

Spartanburg police said they have responded to 11 such break-ins within the city limits between Friday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 5.

The string began with a break-in reported at Orthopedic Specialties at 303 E. Wood St. around 5 p.m. March 31. A glass door was shattered and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from a drawer inside the business.

As of April 5, the Spartanburg Police Department had tallied 11 break-in incidents at doctor’s offices, dentist offices and veterinary officers. Maj. Art Littlejohn, a police spokesman, said he only had information on nine of the incidents so far.

Most of the events involved a broken window or door and a ransacked office with drawers overturned and cabinets rifled through, according to incident reports from the Spartanburg Police Department. So far, undisclosed amounts of money, computers and cameras have been taken.

Police so far have not identified any suspects, but officers are collecting evidence and reviewing any surveillance videos.

The majority of cases have been reported on the west side of Spartanburg.

“That’s what makes them look like they could be connected, because of the means of the way it’s broken into and also what’s been taken. They appeared to have been looking for cash,” Littlejohn said.

Officers will work the cases the same whether they are dealing with one culprit or several, he said.

“There’s no way for us to know if it’s the same person at this point, or if it’s three to four people working together or two to three people working separately and it’s just coincidence,” Littlejohn said.

In the incident on W.O. Ezell Boulevard, the thieves pried open the door and ransacked the place, taking only a camera and an older model iPhone, said Charles Bebko, a dentist who practices there.

“It’s never a good day when you see policemen wearing blue gloves when you arrive,” Bebko said. “They pulled all the drawers, and it looked like they were looking for cash and easy things.”

That office does not keep any cash in it, he said. No one was inside at the time so no one was injured.

“I can’t believe the sheer number” of targeted offices, Bebko said.

Police are asking for anyone with knowledge about the incidents to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

This story was originally published April 8, 2017 at 7:18 PM with the headline "Spatanburg police investigating wave of medical office break-ins."