LINCOLN — What Lincoln police believe was a crime of opportunity has left a local nonprofit shelter for cats with a big loss.
Grainy surveillance video shows a man entering the FieldHaven Marketplace, which benefits the FieldHaven Feline Center, around 3 a.m. Tuesday. It appears the man threw some large rocks through a front window and then walked inside.
According to police, the man was inside for a very short time, but he managed to get away with about $500 worth of custom and vintage jewelry. The store sells antiques and vintage materials and is home to several cats that are up for adoption.
The money brought in at the thrift shop funds different services FieldHaven offers, including spay and neuter programs, vaccinations and adoptions. None of the cats were injured or taken during the robbery.
Lincoln Police Chief Doug Lee said they’ve seen a recent uptick in crime downtown. He believes it is a direct result that in the last few weeks, his officers have been evicting the homeless from their illegal campsites down by the river.
Lee said right now investigators are at a stand-still as far as finding who committed the crime.
