Thieves hit bowling alley twice last week

The closed bowling alley in Coulee Dam was broken into twice last week, the third time burglars have entered the business since the middle of September.

Coulee Dam police were notified Monday, Oct. 19, of the first break-in last week and notified again on Thursday, Oct. 22, of the second break-in.

Owners Pat and Sara Zlateff were not sure of the exact time of the two burglaries because the business has been closed since late summer. The Zlateffs are in the process of cleaning up the lanes in preparation for an eventual sale and are not there every day.

Missing after the break-in was noticed last Monday were a number of brass fittings, a three-drawer toolbox, 50 feet of copper wire, an ohmmeter, a welder, a number of files, an air compressor, a 263-piece Craftsman tool set, two plier sets, and a Craftsman hex key set.

Value of the missing items, according to the police report, was over $2,000.

On Thursday, the bowling alley was hit again and this time thieves took a Halogen light, valued at $100, plus a number of files, including deposit and bank statements.

Police stated that entry was gained once by taking the hinge pins out of the outside door, and on the second occasion by taking the screws out of hinges on the interior door.

The building is owned by the town of Coulee Dam, and the Zlateffs asked town officials to better secure the doors.

The bowling alley was broken into on Sept. 15, when coin receptacles in some vending machines had been accessed, and an undetermined amount of money taken. An expensive tool set was also taken at that time.

It was also reported that there a number of items had been left, lined up at the door ready to be taken, but the thieves apparently were interrupted before the items could be taken.