Monday morning brought unwelcome surprises for the Jonesville Public Library and Custom Heating and Air of Jonesville. Thieves had broken into both businesses causing damage to the properties and removing cash.

"I arrived at the store at approximately 7:20 a.m. Monday morning and found one of the glass front doors busted," Steve Parker, owner of Custom Heating and Air said. "The thief or thieves broke the glass and had to push it back and crawl through. The glass was reinforced, like windshield glass, and does not shatter. The thieves crawled through without leaving any blood or fibers behind."

"They only took $15 in cash," Darla Parker said. "We don't keep cash in this office. But, the office was ransacked. Drawers were pulled out and the contents were dumped all over the floor. I guess they were looking for more money. They didn't touch the computers or other equipment we had in the office."

The Parker's company van was parked at the front entrance, possibly providing the thief or thieves with a cover.

"We won't be parking the van at the door any more," Steve Parker said. "Our alarm system failed also, but has since been repaired."

Steve Parker called the Jonesville police to report the break-in and while Officer Chuck Puckett was taking the Parker's information, a call came in from the Jonesville Library that a break-in had occurred there.

"I arrived at the library around 8:10 a.m. and noticed that the back door was ajar," Barbara Gilpin said. "I called Cynthia Allred, our head librarian and then the police. Every cabinet and drawer with a lock on it had been pried open and the back door frame was splintered. The thieves got away with $518 in cash."

The money taken from the library was the building funds that was collected and donated through the junk in the trunk sale held the previous weekend.

"I want whoever the thief was to know that they have stolen from the entire community," Gilpin said. "When the communities residents come to the library, they feel safe. The community has been helping to raise funds to build a new library and it's the community's money. Things like this threaten our being able to keep a library open."

"I hope their conscience gets the better of them," she said.

Property damage to the library was estimated at $350, and property damage to Custom Heating and Cooling was estimated at $400.

The robberies are still under investigation.