Burglars return for encore at Play It Again Sports

WASILLA — It was déja vu for the folks at Play It Again Sports recently when the business was burglarized twice in three days.

Manager Trent Vonn arrived at the store at about 9:45 a.m., May 13 to open the sporting goods store to find it had been broken into overnight. Two days later, Wasilla police responded to an alarm at 3:55 a.m. to find the store’s back door had again been smashed and an undetermined amount of money and merchandise were missing.

“The first time, I came in and discovered the aftermath,” Vonn said, adding a broad estimation is that “maybe a few hundred dollars worth” of items were missing.

After cleaning up and having the back door fixed, it was damaged again by what Vonn believes was the same burglar or burglars.

“It was definitely the same person, I think,” he said.

That may be true, but the Wasilla Police Department is investigating the burglaries, which also can serve as a reminder that the summer months are usually more active for break-ins and other mischief, said Officer Rick Manrique, the department’s public information officer.

Manrique was aware of the first break-in and said he hadn’t seen the report on the second, but that it’s not surprising.

“As the weather warms up and we get away from the 20-below temperatures we see more burglaries,” he said.

Add that Valley schools are out for the summer and the days are getting longer, and “the potential is there” for more mischief, Manrique said.

The break-ins at Play It Again Sports aren’t unusual for this time of year, he said, adding that he’s confident there are witnesses out there are urged them to come forward.

“Somebody somewhere knows something about this, and hopefully their values (get) the better of them in the end,” he said.

Anyone with information about the burglaries is encouraged to contact Wasilla police at 352-5401 or Mat-Su Crime Stoppers at 746-3333.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.