Thief makes off with thousands after wild break-in at East Peoria sports bar

A break-in last week at the 5th Quarter Sports Bar and Pizzeria in East Peoria resulted in the theft of an undisclosed amount of cash and damage to an ATM and six video poker machines, according to the owners.

A suspect entered the building by cutting a hole in the freezer roof with a saw at 6:55 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, according to 5th Quarter co-owner Laura Hurckes. The intruder broke into the machines, removed the cash, and departed the premises at 7:33 a.m., she said.

“I know that Monday morning, the machines were cleaned out from the weekend by Gold Rush Gaming,” Hurckes added. “So, whatever money was taken was only from the day’s sales for Monday. I can’t imagine it was more than a couple of thousand dollars.”

Surveillance video of the incident showed a masked individual in a hooded jacket and gloves emptying a video poker machine before walking around the bar. Hurckes said that because the suspect was well-covered, she was not able to determine the individual’s gender.

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The East Peoria Police Department is investigating the incident, according to Hurckes. The Pekin Daily Times has reached out to the department for comment.

This article originally appeared on Pekin Daily Times: Break-in, robbery at 5th Quarter in East Peoria under investigation