New evidence suggests that nearly a dozen vending break-ins in both Upper Allen Township, PA, and Northeastern Indiana are the work of the same person.
“We are 95 percent sure it’s the same individual,” Jeff Snyder, CEO of Snyder Food Services, Inc. in Fort Wayne, IN, told VendingMarketWatch.com. He encourages operators between Upper Allen Township, PA, and Northeastern Indiana to be on the lookout for an individual matching the description and method of operation. According to The Sentinel, the suspected thief drives a mid-1990s to early 2000s two-tone Ford Explorer. He poses as a service person and Snyder added that he will even engage end users in conversation while in the breakroom. “You need to make your people aware and yourselves aware,” Snyder added.
After reading the news report in the daily newsletter, Snyder thought it was coincidence that he and a few other Fort Wayne, IN-area operators experienced similar break-ins to those in the Upper Allen Township area. It wasn’t until last week when another of his locations was robbed and he caught the thief on video tape that he was convinced the crimes were connected. He told the state police about the Pennsylvania incidents and that the description of both the person and the vehicle were extremely similar.
Snyder invites operators to contact him if they have questions about the specifics of the crime he and other operators have experienced. He hopes the industry can work together to help bring the criminal to justice. Operators can reach him at 260-302-6338.
