Published: July 01, 2009 07:15 am      

$5,000 is stolen from area motels

TRAVERSE CITY -- Authorities are searching for a person or persons who stole a collective $5,000 from video games at five local motels spread along U.S. 31.

Police believe keys were used to access some of the machines, while others were pried open. The thefts occurred Monday between 5 and 7 p.m.

Thieves hit Bayshore Resort in Traverse City, as well as Cherry Tree Inn, Hampton Inn, Sugar Beach Resort Hotel and Grand Beach Resort Hotel in East Bay Township, said Traverse City Police Capt. Brian Heffner.

Surveillance video captured the images of two people at Bayshore Resort at the time machines were broken into there, Heffner said.

Any information about the incident can be phoned into the Traverse City Police Department Detective Bureau at (231) 995-5152 or the Silent Observer Tip-line at (231) 947-TIPS (8477).