Police: Several items taken in downtown EC car business burglary

Dan Holtz, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Nov. 30—EAU CLAIRE — Several items were taken during a Thanksgiving week burglary at a downtown Eau Claire car business, police said.

Items taken included snow blowers, tool boxes, tools and other items, police said.

Raymond T. Greenley, 36, of Eau Claire, was charged Tuesday in Eau Claire County Court with felony counts of burglary, operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, bail jumping and possession of burglarious tools.

Greenley also faces misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property, bail jumping, receiving stolen property, retail theft and carrying a concealed knife.

A $5,000 cash bail was set for Greenley, which prohibits him from having contact with Colburn Auto and possessing weapons.

Greenley returns to court Jan. 9.

According to the criminal complaint:

The owner of Colburn Auto, 717 S. Farwell St., called police on Friday to report that his shop had been broken into.

The front door and a file cabinet were damaged. Other locked items had also been broken.

The owner showed police the exterior of his building where homeless people had been sleeping and leaving feces on his property.

Some of the stolen property was found in the shrubbery outside of the adjacent Leader-Telegram building. There was also a large amount of property and bedding in the shrubbery. Police determined someone had obviously set up a camp in the shrubs.

Greenley then arrived. He said the personal items and bedding belonged to him.

Greenley told police another man had broken into the Colburn building. Greenley admitted entering the building but would not admit to taking anything.

Surveillance video showed Greenley to be the operator of a van that was stolen from an alley between Barstow and Farwell streets.

Greenley then told police he was not being totally honest with police but did not give any further information.

Police learned Greenley was convicted of a felony count of burglary in November 2006 in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

At the time of the Colburn burglary, Greenley was free on bond for pending felony and misdemeanor cases in La Crosse and Marathon counties.

If convicted of the felony charges in the new Eau Claire County case, Greenley could be sentenced to up to 18 years in prison.