Safe Thefts In Oklahoma And Arkansas Investigated

Tuesday, July 17th 2007, 10:07 am

By: News On 6

VAN BUREN, Ark. (AP) _ Police in Arkansas are trying to determine if two thieves who stole a two-ton safe from a bank in Van Buren are the same ones who stole safes from Golden Corral restaurants in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

The restaurant safes were stolen in Tulsa and Muskogee late last year and in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in late May.

The bank safe was stolen in Van Buren, Arkansas, two weeks ago and was found during the weekend in rural Benton County just north of Van Buren. Police say the thieves knocked down a wall to the bank and used a fork lift to take the vault then used a drill and cutting torch to open it.

The thieves have cut holes in the roof of the restaurants to get inside.