LAKEPORT – Several break-ins were reported to Lakeport businesses on Monday, just over a month after another string of commercial burglaries hit the city.

Beginning early Monday, four reports were made to Lakeport Police.

High Street Cafe on N. High reported a broken window; and Pet Country and Lake County Cleaners on N. Main reported burglaries, as did Dish Network on S. Main.

Pet Country also had been hit in November, when six businesses had their locks forced and cash taken, as Lake County News has reported.

“This is the third time this year we've been robbed,” said Pet Country owner Steven Vaughan.

Lakeport Police Chief Kevin Burke said he doesn't believe the strings of burglaries in November and this month are related to each other, because different methods were used and the motives appeared to be different.

Vaughan said the burglars got into his business by busting through a window. Once inside, they took petty cash.

“They're not hurting the animals or anything like that, thank God,” he said.

In November, his locks were forced and twisted off; several months before that, his front door was kicked in. His business also was burglarized last year. “Before that, nothing,” he said.

Formerly in law enforcement himself, Vaughan said he's planning to upgrade his security system to handle what he called the “little muscle heads” responsible for the break-ins.

Burke said they have “some very significant leads” on Monday's break-ins.

However, the investigation into the November burglaries is still open, and they don't have any new leads in those cases. “The investigation doesn't look real promising right now.”

He said it's not unusual to see commercial property crimes flare up around the holiday season.

It's something he's seen both in Lakeport and in Los Angeles, where he worked as a police officer. In Los Angeles, he added, car burglaries to go after presents was “a huge issue.”

Vaughan thinks the economy is part of what's driving the rash of break-ins.

“It's just a sign of the times,” he said.

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