Breaking and Entering

In today's Blotter, there's a report of a man who broke into a local convenience store. Unfortunately, robbery isn't unheard of in this town, but this fellow's strategy certainly stands out. He broke through a wall with a sledgehammer. It happened some time between 5AM-6AM. The report raises several compelling questions:

1) Didn't the convenience store have any windows? If so, let's think through that decision-making process. "Let's see, I'm standing here at 5AM and I'd really like some cigarettes. I need to get into that store that's inconveniently closed right now. Luckily, I have my sledgehammer. Glass is pretty easy to break, so I think I'll take my hammer and bust a hole in that concrete wall. That shouldn't take too long or make too much noise. I'll be smoking in no time."

2) Didn't anyone hear any unusual noises? I've never heard of a sledgehammer with a silencer, so you figure someone must have heard this fellow's nefarious deed. Surely the convenience store wasn't in the middle of nowhere, because really, how convenient would that be? It would just be a store at that point. Maybe he happened to find the only window-less convenience store conveniently located next to a rock quarry.

3) How big was this fellow? Breaking through a wall with a sledgehammer can't be easy, so kudos to him and whatever exercise regimen he's on. Especially since he's a smoker. Wonder if he practiced on other walls before this big heist. If so, the police could just look for the house with walls like swiss cheese.

It seems like the strategy was doomed to fail. But, no. The thief got away with $60,600 of checks, cash, and cigarettes. Apparently, the police have a prime suspect because a former employee once told the owner that he would break into the store. And, when he said "break into the store," he meant "break into the store."