Burglar targets charity

From Columbia Tribune

A Columbia man faces burglary charges after police suspect he broke into a charity three times last week.
Selvyn A. McMillan, 44, was arrested after police were dispatched Saturday night to Big Brothers Big Sisters, 806 N. Providence Road, in reference to a burglary in progress. It was the third burglary at the charity’s office in four nights.
McMillan was arrested after he made incriminating statements to police indicating he was also involved in the second burglary. He is charged with second-degree burglary and remained in the Boone County Jail today on $4,500 bond.
Georgalu Swoboda, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, said the charity installed an alarm system Friday after burglaries the two previous nights. The charity also reversed the front doors so they opened outward, making it harder for them to be kicked in.
Two personal computers, a laptop and a DVD player were stolen during the first burglary, Swoboda said. Bottles of wine disappeared after the second incident.
"We had five bottles of wine, and they only took four. That’s all they took," she said. "We thought it was kids at that point."
Swoboda said McMillan entered through a window Saturday night and was taking apart a computer when police arrived. He tried to climb through the ceiling tiles to escape, she said, and a police K-9 unit found him hiding underneath a desk.
Swoboda said it appears everything except the laptop will be covered by insurance. The string of burglaries hit the charity as it prepared to kick off its Children of Promise campaign.
"We have a couple hundred kids that need mentors, and that’ll slow us down," she said of the crimes.
Police Sgt. Ken Hammond with the Major Crimes Unit said investigators are trying to connect McMillan with the first burglary as well.
"We have no indications that a second person was involved," Hammond said. "We’re still trying to tie him to the first burglary. We haven’t been able to do that yet, but he is a strong suspect in that."
Swoboda said the charity never was victimized by crime before, and she was surprised the office was targeted because it is on Providence Road and is lit well.
"You’d think they’d go to a bank or something that had something to take," she said. "Other than equipment - computers and printers - there’s nothing to take. There’s no money. This man came three times. I wouldn’t think that is too smart to do."

Jason's snark: OK folks, I'm snarkless on this one. Any suggestions? (Bonus points for anyone who can tell me what "Swoboda" means.)