Alva Review-Courier -

With the help of video surveillance and a posting on social media, the Woods County Sheriff’s Office quickly identified a suspect in an Alva burglary. Bubbles Laundry was burglarized in the early hours of Sunday, Dec. 23. The business suffered extensive damage to change machines and other equipment in addition to the cash taken.

Lucas Wayne Boor, 36, of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, has been charged with two felonies: burglary in the second degree and malicious injury to property. The burglary charge is punishable by imprisonment for up to seven years. The second charge carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to two years or a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both fine and imprisonment.

Court records list Boor as being homeless. A felony arrest warrant has been issued in the case.

On Sunday, Dec. 23, about 7:10 a.m. Alva Police Officer Kris Franta and Woods County Undersheriff Keith Dale were dispatched to Bubbles Laundry, 226 Flynn St., to take a report of a burglary that occurred during the nighttime hours.

Dale spoke with Tony Cox who said he arrived at the business and observed coin bins missing from several of the washers and dryers. He notified law enforcement and Melody Erhardt, owner of the business.

Alva Police Officer Brian File arrived and photographed the area while Franta and Dale reviewed video footage. The video surveillance showed a man, later identified as Boor, carrying a backpack, wearing a bandana over his face, grey hooded jacket under a black jacket, blue jeans and work boots who entered the business at 4:18 a.m. through the west door.

The man is seen walking to the office door, located on the south wall, and checking to see if it is unlocked before exiting the business and returning approximately ten minutes later with a blue crowbar that he uses to force entry into the office. He is seen taking the crowbar back to his vehicle and waiting another ten minutes before entering again at 4:41 a.m.

The man is seen entering the office, taking the keys from a desk drawer and going off camera to the area of the change machines. When seen again, the man is carrying the coin hopper for the large change machine. He exits the building and places the hopper in the driver’s side back seat of his vehicle.

The man is seen entering the building and attempting to open the small change machine with the keys from the office. After several unsuccessful attempts he is seen going to his vehicle and getting his crowbar. He returns to the office area and removes the entire machine from the wall, exiting with it through the west door. He again enters the building and removes 22 coin bins from washers and dryers. The man exits the building and pushes his vehicle backward then leaves driving east on Flynn Street.

In further review of the video footage, the officers found the man identified as Boor had been at the business earlier in the evening driving the same vehicle and wearing the same jeans and shoes with a grey hooded jacket with a hat. He was not wearing the black jacket or bandana on his face. The hat he was wearing earlier can be seen on the dash of his vehicle when he returns at 4:18 a.m.

In that earlier appearance at 11:53 a.m. he parked the vehicle in the same location and entered through the same door. He puts a few items in a dryer then can be seen walking around the business before folding a blanket and going outside, pushing his vehicle, a black Chevrolet Trailblazer, backward and then leaving driving east on Flynn Street.

The same man is seen returning at 3:01 a.m. parking in the same location and sitting in his vehicle until 3:55 a.m. when he opens the rear driver’s side door. He then enters the building at 4:18 a.m. wearing the additional coat and the bandana covering his face.

Pictures of the burglary suspect were posted on social media, and later that afternoon Dale received a call from someone who recognized the man as Boor. On Dec. 24, Dale spoke with another individual who also identified the suspect as Boor.

Dale was able to locate contact information for Boor’s father, Loren Boor, and speak to him. The father said his son drives a black Chevrolet Trailblazer with a Kansas license plate and a defective reverse gear which requires him to push it backward if he wants to back up. Loren Boor said his son has been in trouble in the past for stealing things and is currently out on bond for criminal charges in Barber County, Kansas.

Later Dale spoke to Ashton Wells who share children with Boor. She told him Boor was scheduled to pick up their children in Sterling, Kansas, the next day and provided a phone number for him. Dale attempted to call Boor with no response.

About 3 p.m. on Dec. 24, Boor returned Dale’s call. Dale says that Boor admitted stealing the coin binds from the Bubbles laundromat, taking the keys to the business, stealing the coin bins from washers and dryers and stealing the change machines. According to Dale’s affidavit, Boor said he took the quarters to Walmart in Hutchinson, Kansas, and exchanged them for cash which he used to buy Christmas presents for his children. He said he had the coin bins and keys in his possession and would return them on Dec. 27.

About 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 27, Dale had a text messaging conversation with Boor who said he would turn himself in by noon, which he failed to do.

Dale spoke to Erhardt who said since the burglary her business has taken a significant financial loss. Since the coin bins were stolen, there is no secure way for patrons to deposit money into laundry machines and since the change machines were stolen there is no way for customers to exchange currency. Erhardt stated her business, which was once open 24 hours a day, now has to be manned with an employee if she wants to be open which creates significant expense.

Erhardt told Dale it will cost $1,800 to replace the large change machine, $500 for the small change machine, $1,500 to replace the 22 stolen coin bins and $100 to repair damage to the door jamb. She estimates $800 in quarters and bills taken from the large change machine, $110 in quarters and bills from the small change machine and one week’s worth of quarters taken from the washing machines totaling about $600.

Dale conducted a limited records search on Boor which revealed he has previous arrests for criminal trespassing, bogus checks, reckless driving, disorderly conduct, battery, domestic battery, resisting arrest, obstruction, possession of simulated controlled substance or drug paraphernalia, contempt of court, theft, violation of protective order, and manufacture, possess, sale of depressant, stimulant, or hallucinogenic drug.