Unknown amount of money stolen from local grocery store

Money was stolen from a local grocery store's safe and ATM Saturday.

A maintenance man from Bob's IGA, 8978 United Lane, reported the break-in around 6 a.m. Saturday, according to an Athens County Sheriff's Office news release.

An undisclosed amount of money was taken from a Bank One ATM and the store's safe. Suspects entered the store through a back door and disabled the alarm system by cutting the phone lines, according to the release

"Everyone's disappointed, but it's nothing we can't overcome," said Bob Sowers, owner of Bob's IGA.

Employees will assess ways to prevent another burglary after the investigation is complete.

The Sheriff's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification were at the scene. The incident still is being investigated.

"They kept us out of the store for 10 hours," Sowers said. "Evidently, it was a pretty big deal."

The store lost about a day's worth of business, he said. The team of investigators confiscated everything the suspects might have touched, including money still left in the store.

- Natalie Myers