252 cell phones are stolen from Red Wing Alltel

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Burglars smashed through a wall to get into the Alltel Wireless store in a west Red Wing strip mall and steal more than $45,000 worth of cell phones over the weekend.

Red Wing police Chief Tim Sletten said 252 new cell phones representing about 30 different makes and models were taken from the store between the time it closed around 5 p.m. March 8 and the time employees returned early the morning of March 10 to reopen the business.

Alltel is at 166 Tyler Road S. in the Econo Foods strip mall.

Burglars got into the store by first breaking into an adjacent, vacant store space. They pried open that rear door, Sletten said.

Next, they punched several holes in the wallboard, creating an opening in the wall between the vacant shop and the back employee and storage area at Alltel, where they found the phones. Burglars did not get into the store portion of the business, Sletten said.

The loss is estimated at $45,370, not including damage to the building.

Tags: news, cell, phone, stolen