An Alliance man is in custody and facing several charges following a burglary at Dobby’s Frontier Town.
According to the Affidavit for Custody, at 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 19, officers with the Alliance Police Department responded to a report that Dobby’s Frontier Town had been burglarized. An officer met with board members and walked the grounds of Dobby’s. Buildings that were broken into include Jake’s Garage, Fabric Shop, Army Air Corps Barracks, Log Cabin, White Shed, Brown Shed, Bordello, Jail, Dentist Shop, Photography Parlor and Rex’s Hamburgers. The officer noticed damage to the buildings from forced entry.
“A large amount of items were stolen out of numerous buildings that are listed above,” the affidavit said.
On Jan. 21, officers executed a search warrant for Christopher Heater, 31, of Alliance, in relation to the burglaries.
“Heater was found to be in possession of a large amount of items that had been stolen during these burglaries at Dobby’s Frontier Town,” the affidavit said. “During a subsequent interview with Christopher Heater, he admitted to recently breaking and entering into multiple buildings at Dobby’s Frontier Town. Christopher Heater admitted to using bolt cutters and a pry bar to break into the buildings. Christopher Heater advised all the items seized during the search warrant were items he had stolen from Dobby’s Frontier Town. The estimated amount of items stolen is approximately $500-1,500.”
Heater was arrested and lodged at the Box Butte County Jail, where his bond was set at $15,000-10 percent. Officers have recommended charges against Heater, including 11 counts of burglary, theft by receiving stolen property $500-$1,500 and possession of burglar’s tools.
In a press release, APD Chief Philip Lukens attributed the successful resolution of the case to several factors. He issued a warning to those who commit crime in Alliance.
“Our community’s help coupled with technology was instrumental in solving these burglaries,” said Lukens. “It’s a new day in Alliance. If you commit a crime, we will find you and you will be held accountable. The citizens of Alliance have asked for increased safety and we are rising to meet their expectations. I’m proud of our staff and the community members who helped resolve this issue quickly. Working together is the definition of community.”
Heater, as of press time, has two unrelated felony cases pending in Box Butte County District Court. In one case, he is charged with two counts of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, each a class 3 felony, and theft by unlawful taking $0-$500, a class 2 misdemeanor.
According to court records, the charges spawn from an incident on July 15, 2021 in which officers received a report of a male trespassing on BNSF property in the 1000 block of West 1st Street. When officers arrived, they found a man, who was identified as Chris Heater, carrying a hand shovel in one hand. According to an Affidavit for Custody, as officers were speaking with Heater, “he moved his left hand toward his left side pants pocket which revealed what appeared to be a knife.”
Officers confirmed that Heater had a knife in a sheath in his front left pocket and another knife in a sheath hanging from his belt. Officers spoke with dispatch and confirmed that Heater is a convicted felon, and placed him under arrest.
That case is set for a jury trial on March 4, with a pretrial hearing set for Jan. 26.
In the other case, Heater is charged with theft by receiving stolen property $1,500-$4,999, a class 4 felony, criminal mischief $1,500-$4,999, a class 1 misdemeanor, third degree assault, a class 1 misdemeanor, drive during revocation, a class 2 misdemeanor, unauthorized use of a propelled vehicle, a class 3 misdemeanor, and unlawful/fictitious display of plate, a class 3 misdemeanor. A jury trial for that case is scheduled for Feb. 25, with a pretrial hearing set for Jan. 26.