Dawn Dunlap accused of two break-ins at Markowitz Florist, three at Syracuse YMCA since Tuesday.
View full sizeJini Cerio, owner of Markowitz Florists, and Steve Meier, a carpenter, inspect the damage left after someone drove a van into the business and stole money. Meier is removing the front doors. Cerio said there was only $4 in the register.Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse woman who police said crashed her car into a florist shop early today is accused of four downtown burglaries and one attempted burglary since Tuesday.
Dawn Dunlap, 44, of 416 E. Division St., told police she committed her crime spree to finance her drug addiction, Syracuse police said.
Three break-ins at the Syracuse YMCA and two burglaries at the South Warren Street florist are all tied to Dunlap, a former YMCA employee, police said.
Markowitz Florist was hit twice this week, once on Tuesday when a window was smashed, and again today, when a car was driven into the front door, a woman entered the building and then returned to the car and drove off with a small amount of money, Connellan said.
Markowitz Florist remained open today despite losing its front doors. Owner Jini Cerio called her shop an “open-air market” today.
There was no damage to the interior and she lost little, about $4. The losses were kept low mostly because of precautions she has taken since earlier break-ins, she said.
About 3 a.m., the suspect drove a car into the front of the florist shop in the University Building, 210 S. Warren St., Cerio said.
Cerio knows the time because there was a witness to the car crashing into the front door and surveillance video captured the suspect, she said.
Police were able to get the license plate number from the video, which led police to Dunlap, Sgt. Tom Connellan said.
Dunlap also is accused of two burglaries and an attempted burglary at the Downtown YMCA, 340 Montgomery St.
The first break-in happened on Tuesday, the same day as the first florist shop break-in, Connellan said. Dunlap is accused of breaking a window on a door to an alley to gain entrance into the YMCA, and then going into an office and taking money, Connellan said.
Dunlap is accused of returning to the YMCA on Thursday, gaining entrance and again taking money from an office, Connellan said.
Early Friday, Dunlap returned to the YMCA but was not able to gain access to an office, Connellan said. She later went to the flower shop, rammed the door with the car and took off with a very small amount of money, Connellan said.
Dunlap is charged with four counts of burglary, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor. She also is facing five counts of criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, and a single count of attempted burglar, a felony.
The investigation is continuing and police said more people may be involved.
Two burglaries within a week at her business have not soured Cerio on Syracuse’s downtown.
“We’ve been downtown since 1934,” Cerio said. “I’m not afraid of having a downtown business."
A temporary doorway is being built by her landlord, whom Cerio praised for their quick reaction to her troubles.