U-Haul used in brazen burglary
Not only did a man break into a home on Balsam Circle and steal $10,000 worth of tools late Dec. 23, he brought a U-Haul to cart off the loot, a Summerville Police report shows.
The next door neighbor heard loud noises coming from the home. He looked outside and saw a man who was not the homeowner loading items into the truck, the report says.
He turned on his lights, sending the suspect speeding off in the U-Haul.
When an officer arrived, he found the garage door open along with a door leading from the garage into the house. The backdoor had been kicked and there were pieces of the broken door on the ground, the report says.
Inside, the water line to the refrigerator and cable line to the television appeared to have been cut. Both items were found close to the door, suggesting the suspect planned to remove them through the garage, the report says.
The homeowner was in Knightsville when the break-in occurred. He arrived and determined nothing was missing from inside the home, but a tool box and mechanic tools worth a total of $10,000 had been stolen along with a lawnmower, the report says.
Fingerprints were found in multiple locations throughout the house.

Gravestone toppled again
For the second time in as many years, a Summerville man found his family member’s gravestone knocked over at Boone Hill Cemetery, according to a Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office report.
The most recent incident occurred sometime between his visits on Dec. 18, when the gravestone was undisturbed, and Dec. 21, when he found it on the ground.
The man, 71, had to pay a fee to have the marker reset, the report says. He told the reporting deputy that he wants to press charges if an arrest is made.

Gift taken from under tree
During a break-in at a Brailsford Drive home Dec. 22, gift-wrapped clothes under the Christmas tree were among the items stolen, a sheriff’s office report shows.
Someone entered the house through the front door, which had pry marks on the door jam consistent with a thin blade or knife, the report says. The door was wide open when one of the victims returned home about 5:15 p.m.
A Playstation 3 video game console was taken from one bedroom and jewelry was missing from atop a dresser in another bedroom, the report says. It appeared the intruder also rummaged through dresser drawers.

Contact David Berman at 873-9424 ext. 214 or dberman@journalscene.com