Carbonated crime: Pop pinchers sweep through north county

- Photo by Mike Day.Mangled metal reveals a missing cash box on this Rosalia vending machine.

Thieves dragged a pop vending machine from outside the Tekoa Market and smashed open the contents in the early morning hours Monday. Another machine in Tekoa, one in Farmington and one in Rosalia were also broken into the same morning.

Deputy Vince Waltz believes the crimes are linked. The thieves emptied the dollar changers of each machine and stole all the pop from the machines.

Waltz said they have no suspects at this time. He believed the thefts were done by locals because of their remote location...