Howard police arrest two in snowball stand burglaries

On July 30 at 2:55 a.m., two suspects kicked in the front door to The Snowball Stand in the 1900 block of Woodstock Road in Woodstock. Police said bolt cutters were used to break the pad lock on the front window, and that the interior was ransacked and the exterior spotlight was moved. Cash from two of the registers was stolen, police said.

Police reported the snowball stand robberies were part of a series of commercial burglaries committed between July 26 and 30 in which the time of day, location proximity, targeted businesses and method of entry were similar.

Police determined that the suspects used bolt cutters, cut-off saws, screwdrivers and pry bars to force their way into the business.

Police said detectives were assisted in their investigation by surveillance footage from the snowball stand burglaries and surveillance footage from a convenience store in the vicinity of Kendall Hardware.

Through further investigation, Boyer and Grimley were identified as suspects and apprehended without incident on Aug. 8.

Police believe the two men may be linked to similar commercial burglaries that took place at area public pools and other snowball stands in recent weeks. Police are continuing their investigation.