Burglaries Remain a Problem in West Ashley

While violent crime is on the decline in Charleston according to Charleston Police Department records, burglaries remain an issue for West Ashley residents.

City Police are investigating several burglaries reported in the West Ashley area last week, according to incident reports provided by the department.

On March 5 officers responded to two separate reports of burglaries at area businesses.

At 7:30 a.m. Monday, March 5, officers were called to Hibachi Grill on Savannah Highway after employees found the front door to the business shattered, according to a report. At the scene officers noticed pry marks at the back door where it appeared the door had been forced open. Inside the business, $300 was removed from the cash register, the report stated. The break-in happened between 9:30 p.m. Sunday March 4 and 7:32 a.m. Monday.

Later that morning officers responded to another burglary reported at the on Sycamore Avenue, according to another report. The theif, or theives, appear to have broken in through a window on the side of the business the report states, and stole $550 from the cash register. The business owner told officers he received an alarm call at home around 2:30 a.m. Monday but cancelled the police response after logging into the restaurant's surveilance video feed and not seeing anyone inside.

Last Friday, March 2, police were investigating a residential burglary at an appartment at 1671 N. Woodmere Drive, according to another report. Officers determined access to the apartment was gained through a bedroom window. Approximately $20 in coins was stolen from that bedroom, and $230 in cash and a prescription bottle containing five Adderall pills was stolen from the other bedroom, the report stated. The burglary happened during a four-hour window that day between 1:30 - 5:28 p.m.

Charleston Police also investigated a burglary at an apartment in the Ashley Oaks Apartments complex on Wednesday, Feb. 29, according to another report. Between 8:20 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. that day someone entered the apartment through an unlocked sliding glass door and stole a Playstation 3 and two Playstation game controllers, the report stated.