Sometime after the Super S store in Three Rivers closed on Thursday, Jan. 29, and re-opened on Friday morning, thieves broke into the store and made off with the entire contents of the safe.

According to the Live Oak County Sheriff’s complaint log, TR Super S manager Luis Gutierrez dialed 911 at 6:56 a.m. and reported “. . . the safe was cut open. Someone took all the money out,” read the report.

Records indicate the store was locked and the alarm was set at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. The phone lines were cut, disabling the alarm system, at approximately 11:45 p.m. The sheriff’s log reads, “A hole was cut into the office.” An employee who wished to remain anonymous said it appeared the perpetrators carefully planned the break-in. To shield themselves from police and passersby while they cut a hole into a wall with an acetylene torch the robbers hid behind a plywood hut. Ostensibly the plywood was taken from the lumber company next door. The entrance was made on the west side of the store near the storage area. Tracks through the store indicate once the opening was made, the robbers dragged the acetylene torch to the front of the store where the safe is kept and used the torch to cut into the safe.

Although the store manager and the district manager, Tony Lopez, would not allow the media to photograph the scene, it was apparent a fire extinguisher had been used to mist the crime scene. A store employee supposed the thieves had used it to cover their fingerprints and/or cover their tracks.

Store management would not answer direct questions, however the sheriff’s complaint log indicated everything was taken from the safe. Management did not confirm or deny if customers’ charge id’s, check information, and/or credit card information is a risk.

On Friday evening, store employee were still cleaning the “sprayed on” mess in the store. The phone lines for credit card verification remained inoperative until Sunday.