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BY ELLEN BILTZ
Police believe that two men arrested at a car wash last night were there to clean out the coin box rather than clean up their car.
The arrests followed a chain of thefts and destruction at local car washes.
The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office received a tip Tuesday night that two men would soon be pulling one of the burglaries somewhere on Jefferson Davis Highway, said Maj. Michael Timm.
Each machine can hold several hundred dollars and, in some cases, car washes have thousands on hand at a time.
However, one owner said local car washes are careful to empty the machines regularly.
The tip followed incidents in the recent past, and detectives and members of the Street Crimes Unit set up lookouts at car washes along U.S. 1, Timm said.
Timm said the tipster was exactly right in his info because about 2:30 a.m. yesterday, officers saw a man walking toward a Massaponax car wash with a crowbar, but he got spooked and walked back to his vehicle, he said.
However, police were able to follow the car and pull the driver over for minor traffic infractions. They noticed the crowbar and a smaller pry bar in the back seat.
Arrested were Joshua Adams, 31, of no fixed address, and Brian Tinkey, 25, of Spotsylvania. Police learned that at least one of them could be responsible for the previous break-ins in Spotsylvania County, Timm said.
He said as of yesterday, detectives have linked the men to as many as six similar incidents in the area.
Also, many of the businesses have security cameras and police will get pictures and watch videos to see if they can find any more evidence of the crimes, he said.
Police found two pills of hydrocodone in Adams' pocket. He has been charged with attempted breaking and entering, possession of burglary tools and possession of schedule II narcotics.
The driver, Tinkey, was charged with attempted breaking and entering, possession of burglary tools and driving on a suspended license.
Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424