Bumbling Burglars Turn to Google to Crack Safe

Two bumbling burglars turned to Google when they had trouble opening a combination safe that they had the combination to.

The Colorado Springs thieves stole more than $12,000 with the help of online instructions on how to open a safe after 75 minutes of frustration and no luck with 3 safes inside the cash room at Bigg City, a family fun center.

Just as the crooks were about to give up on the safe, one of them found a computer in an adjoining office that was logged on to the Internet. The crook then researched "how to open a safe" on Google.

The crooks also had the alarm codes to the cash cage and the key to the door, according to Bigg City Manager Matt Van Auken.

"It could have been maintenance personnel. We've lost 2 managers in the last two months and it could have been one of them," he said.

Van Auken said at least one of the managers has a criminal background.

"It amazes me what information you can find on the Internet that helps people act illegally. These guys were dumb robbers and they were completely inept," he said.

Police said there were no signs of forced entry to the warehouse and that the burglars got in by knowing the codes for the touch pads.

One man used a silicon type spray to cover the surveillance cameras but the spray actually cleaned off the lenses instead of blocking them like the men had hoped.

"These guys had no clue that big, industrial style safes do not open like gym lockers or combination locks," said Van Auken. "There are a number of special turns that need to be made, in order for the safes to unlock."

Apparently the Web site visited by the criminals outlined the process quite simply, since it only took them 30 seconds to go back, open the safe and steal all the money.

Police detective Chuck Ackerman said the burglary looks like an inside job because the thieves seem to have known the place well.

Van Auken said all employees will be given lie detector tests to make sure they don’t know anything about the robbery.

"If I were smart enough, the next day I would have googled 'how to catch a thief'," said Van Auken.

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