Police investigate 5 break-ins in KC’s River Market, as man charged in Betty Rae’s robbery

Police are investigating a string of five more break-ins at businesses in Kansas City’s River Market and downtown areas Thursday. The incidents came as a 78-year-old Independence man was charged with breaking into a business in the market earlier this week.

Officers were called to the 400 block of Walnut Street in the River Market around 4 a.m. Thursday on an alarm call and found a business that had been broken into, said Sgt. Phil DiMartino, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Police Department.

They also found another nearby break-in in the 100 block of East 5th Street, and tallied a total of five incidents in the area, he said, noting that detectives are trying to determine if the five burglaries are related.

DiMartino said detectives had tracked down surveillance footage and were working to develop leads from the video.

It was not immediately clear what was taken in those incidents.

Police said detectives would be canvassing the area for footage and any possible witnesses. Anyone with information about the break-ins may contact police at 816-234-5515 or by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Betty Rae’s charges

The Thursday break-ins came on the heels of another high-profile burglary in the market vicinity, at the Betty Rae’s Ice Cream location on Delaware Street early Sunday, the second break-in at that shop recently.

Investigators have accused a 78-year-old Independence man of committing the Sunday burglary, and he was arrested Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas, police said. John H. Heckman was charged with second-degree burglary, stealing and first-degree property damage in Jackson County Circuit Court Thursday.

The business reported it would cost $1,700 to fix a glass door that was broken out during the burglary and about $2,000 to replace a safe that was stolen, according to court documents. The business also reported the safe contained about $1,800 in cash.

Investigators linked Heckman to the break-in using surveillance footage, a Kansas City detective wrote in a report, noting that police did not find the safe or money when they arrested him.

“Heckman denied committing the burglary but was shown pictures of him in the area and in the business,” the detective wrote. “When asked what he did with the money he said it was always spent on dope and the casinos. He was asked about the safe and he told (d)etectives the safe is gone and he could not get us anything that is not there anymore.”

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said Heckman was being held on no bond.

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