An individual broke into two BYU Tanner Building vending machines sometime between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. on Jan. 3 and Jan. 4.
According to a BYU Police report, the property damage is an estimated $2,000 for the machines, with an undisclosed amount of cash removed from both. BYU Police Lt. Steven Messick said authorities are unsure what tool was used to break open the machines.
“It happens periodically. We’ve been hit a few times over the last few years,” Messick said.
The most recent incident besides the Tanner Building break-in was one reported Oct. 27 in the Ezra Taft Benson Building. The vending machines were broken into and cash was taken. According to Messick, there is no direct pattern in the buildings targeted by the burglars.
The recent vending machine robberies in the Alpine School District happened around the same time as the Tanner Building robberies, but investigators believe it’s just bad timing and that there is no correlation.
“We want students to feel safe and know that this crime occurred during the break when no students were present,” said Alpine School District representative Kimberly Bird.
There is property damage done to other parts of the schools in Alpine School District, according to Orem Police Sergeant Travis Anderson, making connection between the two schools unlikely.
BYU police are still searching for a suspect for the robbery on the BYU campus. Any witnesses or tips can be called in at 801-422-2222.
