COLUMBUS – A trio of burglars were arrested breaking into the famed Longaberger headquarters building in Newark, the third apparent break-in in a matter of days.
Eric Giffen, of Newark; Christopher Caplinger, of Columbus, and Eric McClain, of Heath, were arrested Wednesday morning by officers with the Newark and Pataskala police and deputies from the Licking County Sheriff’s Office investigating an alarm from the seven-story basket-shaped building at 1500 E. Main Street, said Sgt. Clint Eskins, Newark Division of Police public information officer.
Newark police responding to an alarm at the former headquarters of the Longaberger Company at 6:27 a.m. found evidence that someone had entered the building illegally and called for assistance from other officers, including local K-9 units, Eskins said
By 10:30 a.m., the three suspects had been taken into custody.
Eskins says Newark police had responded to two prior break-in reports.
On Tuesday at 8:40 a.m., officers were called to the building on a break-in that had occurred over the weekend and were called back again at 11:40 p.m. to check the building and found evidence of forced entry again, Eskins said.
Police believe the suspects were able to run away without being seen when the officers arrived.
Eskins says the cooperation and coordination between the law enforcement agencies and the Newark Fire Department were instrumental in the successful search and arrests of the suspects.
Caplinger, 33, was transported to the hospital for injuries sustained from a dog bite.
Charges against Caplinger, Giffen, 35, and McClain, 35, will be presented to the Licking County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration. It is not clear if they were connected to the other break-ins.