LITTLE ROCK — Burglars ransack animal shelter
Burglars tore through the Humane Society of Pulaski County building before dawn Tuesday, breaking a security camera, ripping off the door and taking $500 in cash from a vending machine, cracking a safe, and making off with $800 in medications and a 1998 Dodge Caravan, the sheriff's office and shelter employees reported.
Humane Society Director Kay Jordan said the shelter would likely be closed until Thursday.
She discovered the burglary when she arrived at work at 14600 Colonel Glenn Road about 7 a.m. Tuesday.
"We've had them steal stuff from the outside, but we've never had anybody go inside and do what they did," she said.
No animals were injured during the break-in, Jordan said.
Jordan notified the Pulaski County sheriff's office at 7:37 a.m., according to a sheriff's office report, and told officers that any of four recently fired employees could be responsible for the damage and thefts. Sheriff's deputies had made no arrests Tuesday night.
Among the stolen goods was the 1998 white Dodge Caravan with a missing side mirror.
Burglars also damaged and tried to steal a Jeep. Iodine and other animal medicine also were missing.
Tuesday's burglary was the most severe incident in years, Jordan said.
LR robbery suspect
treated for gunshot
After treatment for a gunshot wound received in what Little Rock police described as a home-invasion robbery attempt, Theotis Thornton's situation didn't improve upon his release Tuesday from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital.
Police arrested Thornton, 24, of 1614 S. Martin St. in connection with two separate robberies six days apart - the first one two blocks from his house.
On Oct. 9, police said, Thornton went to a friend's house in the 1400 block of South Martin Street about 6 p.m. He knew the man who lived there, Brandon Robinson, and Robinson let Thornton in, police said. Thornton threatened Robinson and eventually tied him up and stole items from the house, police said.
But, police said, Thornton wasn't done.
On Oct. 15, Thornton burst into a house at 8118 W. Markham St. about 2:35 a.m., police said.Frenchy Branscomb, the 25-year-old man inside the house, shot Thornton, and police later charged Branscomb with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Police charged Thornton on Tuesday with aggravated robbery, theft of property and possession of drugs in the crime on Martin Street. In the second crime, police charged Thornton with aggravated robbery and aggravatedresidential burglary.
Thornton spent Tuesday night in the Pulaski County jail, held without bond.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 10/31/2007