Vending machine thieves strike Chelsea hotel, former high school property
Chelsea police are trying to identify a man who broke into two vending machines at a hotel last week.
Surveillance cameras captured an image of the man as he walked toward snack and soda machines on the first floor of the Holiday Inn Express, at 1540 Commerce Park Dr., at about 1:30 p.m. on July 12.
Chelsea police are trying to identify this man.
Police Chief Ed Toth said the man used a key to open the machines and emptied both the coin and bill holders. He walked away with an undisclosed amount of cash. Hotel employees reported the incident the following day.
The thief is described as Asian and in his 20s or 30s. He wore a white T-shirt and shorts.
Toth said investigators don't believe the man was a guest at the hotel. The department issued an alert to other law enforcement agencies in the county to warn them and see if the same man has been active in other areas.
“It’s pretty sneaky to get into the machines that way, and he might be going around doing this in other places, so we want to catch him,” Toth said.
Officers also responded to another vending machine larceny at the former Chelsea High School complex in the 500 block of Washington Street later that day.
Toth said building maintenance opened the outer doors to the building, which now houses private businesses, in the morning and relocked the building until the afternoon. When owners of a dance studio entered the building at about 5 p.m. for evening classes, they noticed an interior door to a room that is usually locked was open. The vending machine inside the room was tampered with, and it appeared the coin bin inside was emptied of an undisclosed amount of money, Toth said.
Police determined the intruder used a fire extinguisher from the building to knock out the glass window within the door to the room. He then reached in and unlocked the door. No suspect description was available.
Toth said police don't believe the same man is responsible for both incidents.
Anyone with information is asked to call the department’s anonymous tip-line at 734-475-9122, ext. 5.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 723-623-2530.