Three Bethel buildings were broken into over the weekend: the Association of Village Council Presidents, Grant Aviation and the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation were all hit according to the Bethel Police Department.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation staff discovered a break in at their apartment complex Friday. YKHC spokesperson Donna Bach said an employee went into the building near the hospital that morning around 9, and encountered unwanted visitors staying inside.
“Over the course of the weekend there were individuals that had been found inside the 800 Building, which is kind of our professional housing facility, and they were individuals that should not have been there. There’s speculation that these persons may have been intoxicated and were just looking for a warm place to sleep,” said Bach.
Bach said a coin operated laundry machine in the building was tampered with. In a report, the Bethel Police Department said a change machine was missing, which was found hours later behind the hospital with a crowbar. Bach adds that over the weeks, shoes went missing from the hallways of the building that belonged to YKHC employees who live in the building.
Bethel Police said they also received a report about another theft on Saturday at Grant Aviation. An employee called the police around 7 A.M. after noticing vending machines and cash machines were tampered with. In addition, the report said the police acquired video footage of the incident.
AVCP President Myron Naneng confirms that the Joe Lomack Building, where their main office is located, was also broken into. Naneng said an employee walked in to the building Sunday morning to find office doors forced open.
“Couple of doors and a safe was broken apart but there was nothing inside of it that seems to be missing. There was no cash in the safe and there was no cash in the pop machine that was also broken into,” said Naneng.
The employee then called the police around noon and reported the burglary. Naneng told KYUK that the incident was also captured on video.
The Bethel Police Department did not say that the break-ins were related but would not rule out the possibility that a single party was responsible, saying the incidents are similar. In all three cases, the vending machines and cash machines were broken into. Law enforcement officials are investigating the cases and ask anyone with information regarding these cases to contact the Bethel Police Department.
This story originates from KYUK and was published with permission