Tri-Cities businesses still seeing spike in break-ins during coronavirus closures

Crooks continue to take advantage of the stay-home order to break into closed businesses, say Kennewick police.

The latest break-in was at Allan Electric on Canal Drive at 4 a.m. Friday.

Police say Calvin W. Fox, 27 and Nikole R. Pierre, 22, cut the fence and took tools from company vehicles.

Around 9 a.m., an employee spotted one of the suspects along with the tools in some brush near the railroad tracks. The employee called police who found Pierre and Fox. Both were booked into the Benton County jail on investigation of second-degree burglary.

The crime was one of a continuing streak of commercial break-ins. March and April have been the busiest two months this year in the city, said Kennewick police Lt. Aaron Clem.

The thieves focus on areas without a lot of traffic such as storage yards, construction sites and sheds. They’ve also hit a car dealership.

Police are asking all business owners to check in on their stores as often as possible and to consider adding additional lights, cameras and other security alarms around windows and doors.

And anyone who sees something out of the ordinary is asked to call police at either 509-628-0333 if it’s not an emergency or at 911 if they see a crime being committed.