Iowa City police investigate business burglaries

Iowa City police say a pet store and a grocery store on the city's southeast side have been burglarized the past two mornings.

The latest incident happened at Fareway, 2765 Commerce Dr., around 1:45 a.m. on Thursday. Officers responded to an alarm call at the business and found a window that had been shattered, making it possible for someone to get inside. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.

On Wednesday, around 6:10 a.m., police say someone broke into Brenneman Seed and Pet Center, 1500 S. First Ave. A front store window was smashed, allowing an unknown number of suspects to get inside.

Lt. Bill Campbell said the owners are still assessing what was taken from the business. Several items were missing, but there is no indication that a pet was taken, he said.

Officers checked the area with the assistance of K-9 dogs in both incidents, but did not locate any suspects.

Campbell said the two incidents are very similar, but police don't know for sure that they are related.

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers at (319) 358-TIPS (8477). A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to the arrest of suspects in these cases. Anonymous tips are allowed.