The body of Thomas Haskins was a day away from being cremated – and his closest kin didn’t even know he was dead.Two men broke into a thrift store run by the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission and stole cash early Thursday, store manager Melissa Dammeyer said.
Dammeyer, who watched surveillance video of the burglary, said the men forced open a side door about 4 a.m. at the Treasure House at 2203 Lafayette St., near East Creighton Avenue. They went straight to a safe that held less than $250, she said.
“They were in and out so fast,” she said. “They knew exactly where they were going.”
The break-in was discovered at 8:30 a.m. that day, and a police report was made. Dammeyer said the side door the men pried open will have to be replaced at a cost of more than $1,000.
Both burglars wore backpacks, gloves and masks covering the lower half of their faces, she said. Both men were white and one wore a black coat with a hood.
Dammeyer said the store aims to serve the community and that the proceeds go toward the Rescue Mission, which aids the homeless.
“We try to do everything we can to help people, and things like this; … it hurts,” she said.
