The Baxter county Arkansas sheriff's office is looking for someone who broke into two Big Flat businesses and city hall overnight.

The alarm went off at 4:41 AM this (7-1-) morning at the Charlie's Place Store in Big Flat.  Sheriff's Deputies began responding to the location.  While enroute, the owner of the store called the Searcy County Sheriff's Office in Marshall and told them that he believed someone was still inside the building. 

     Sheriff's Deputies from Baxter County, Searcy County, and Stone County began to converge on the burglary in progress call.  The Baxter County Sheriff's Office helicopter was also launched and flew to the area.  Baxter County deputies arrived on scene at approximately 5:30 AM.  They found evidence of a break-in and burglary, but the burglar had already fled from the scene.  Deputies also determined that Katie's Grocery, across the street from Charlie's Place, had also been broken into. 

     Investigators were able to view video evidence of the burglary and the suspect from a video security system in use in one of the stores.

  It appears that the burglar was startled by the alarm system when it activated and quickly left.  Evidence indicates the suspect may have been slightly injured in the process of breaking into the buildings, as there was some evidence of bleeding. 

The only items taken were cigarettes and tobacco products and a very small amount of cash.  All of these items were recovered a short distance from the stores. 

Tracking dogs from the North Central Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections at Calico Rock were also called in an effort to obtain a track on the suspect.  The results were ultimately unsuccessful. 

     After deputies and investigators had cleared from the scene, the Sheriff's Office was notified at 10:03 AM that the Big Flat City Hall had also been broken into.  Investigators went to the City Hall.  Entrance had been made by pushing a window air conditioning unit through the window and entering the building there.  City officials do not believe that anything was stolen or damaged at the city hall.

These burglaries are currently under investigation.  If any member of the public has any information at all concerning these cases, they are asked to call the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division at 425-7000 or tips may be left on the Sheriff's Office tip line at 424-4636.