Grocery store burglarized

POST FALLS - A burglar broke into a Post Falls grocery store early Monday and stole an estimated $270 worth of cigarettes, according to police.

The burglary at Frontier Grocery, 2707 W. Seltice Way, occurred around 3:39 a.m. That's when the alarm company contacted the owner.

"We don't have any suspects yet, but we're in the process of obtaining surveillance," Post Falls Police Capt. Greg McLean said on Monday afternoon.

On video, the burglar was wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt, blue pants and red shoes, according to police. The unidentified suspect had a black ski mask covering his or her face and had raised their hood.

"The suspect gained entrance to the store by smashing the front door with a large rock," the police report states.

McLean said a witness saw the suspect running through the trailer park behind the store, but no vehicle description was obtained.

After she responded and could see that the glass door had been broken, the store's owner told police, she drove around the building several times to ensure no one was still inside.

The cash register was partially open, but no cash appeared to have been taken, according to police. There was also debris in front of a safe, but the safe was left untouched.

Based on the video, police said the suspect rummaged near the safe then moved to the cigarette stand near the cash register and took six cartons of Camel cigarettes with a total estimated value of $270.

The estimated damage to the door is $500. However, if the entire door needs to be replaced, it would cost around $2,000.

Those with information are urged to contact police at 773-3517 or leave a tip at www.postfallspolice.com.