Leader Staff
Shawano County authorities are looking for the public’s help in solving a string of recent break-ins and thefts at area laundromats.
The most recent occurred on about 1:21 p.m. Oct. 17.
A man entered the laundromat at John’s One Stop on state Highway 47-55 in Wescott, forced entry into a video machine and removed a substantial amount of currency.
Similar incidents have taken place at laundromats in Wittenberg, Cecil and Shawano.
Authorities say that neighboring jurisdictions have also had reports of similar criminal activity where a variety of vending machines have been targeted and currency removed.
The sheriff’s department has surveillance video that shows a lone male person of interest and a vehicle.
The suspect appears to be a white male wearing a brown/tan hooded sweatshirt and the vehicle is a teal or off-green two-door.
The suspect in the video is seen entering John’s One Stop and appears to be plugging in a phone. He is viewable as he walks by a surveillance camera with his face exposed.
The individual subsequently left the store and re-entered with his face partially covered. He forced entry into the video machine and left.
A short time later he returned to the laundromat, collected his phone and left in his vehicle.
Anyone with information regarding any of the thefts and break-ins is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski at 715-526-7906, the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office at 715-526-3111 or their local law enforcement agency.