Fire Started, Cash Stolen at East Hampton Village Stores

Detectives are investigating a burglary at two East Hampton Village stores, along with a fire that was started there, in the early morning hours on Monday. The burglar or burglars made off with an unknown amount of cash before the fire triggered the smoke alarm. 

Village police and the East Hampton Fire Department were summoned to Tenet, at 51 Newtown Lane, by an automatic fire alarm at about 3:30 a.m. The store has two entrances, one on Newtown Lane and another on Park Place in the Reutershan parking lot. "It appears somebody forced their way into Tenet through the back door," said Detective Steve Sheades. The burglar alarm was not activated.

Inside, an officer found smoke in the building. A fire extinguisher was used to put out the small fire, found by the landing to the basement staircase. The detective said candles and some envelopes were on fire. "We don't know the purpose of it yet," he said, adding investigators are trying to determine if the fire was was accidental. There was no serious damage to the building. 

Police found cash missing from registers in Tenet. In Sweaty Beatty, a store that shares a common area separated by a curtain with Tenet, police found the safe ajar and cash missing. Detectives are still trying to determine how much cash was taken from both stores and if the safe was left open or had been pried open.

The back door to Tenet had been forced open, but police did not find any tools, and there was no obvious damage. The fire alarm was still sounding Monday morning around 9, while police were inside investigating. 

No arrests have been made yet.