One of 100 Mile House's oldest buildings had a chainsaw taken to it over the weekend.
The 100 Mile Ranch's main barn was broken into Sunday night by a perpetrator who used a chainsaw to cut into the historic building in an attempt to steal fuel and farm equipment. It's a crime that has become all too commonplace for ranch owner Marina Cecil, who estimates she has dealt with two dozen break-ins over the last 15 years.
"It's ongoing for many years because we are so centrally located at the edge of 100 Mile. We're a pretty easy mark for the break-and-enter thieves," Cecil explained. "We have had numerous break-ins over the years and thefts of all kinds of things. From the tractor fuel to tools and miscellaneous items."
This latest incident took place on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 11:30 p.m. Cecil said she has spent thousands of dollars on securing the barn with locks, chains, bars and security cameras to try to keep people out. She admitted, however, that you can't compete with a chainsaw.
It was thanks to those cameras that Cecil knew exactly what happened. She said the thief attempted to break into a window and when that didn't work began to try to break the door around the lock. They ultimately gained entry by using a chainsaw to cut around the bars on another window before cutting a hole in the barn door to start ferrying stolen tools and other items out of the barn.
"We called 911, as we always do, and eventually the ranch manager and the police arrived and did catch him as he was fleeing across the hayfield," Cecil explained. "They let him go with conditions that he needs to show up (for a court date) and he's not allowed to come near the ranch."
Cecil said in her experience, this doesn't necessarily stop a thief who is already not following the laws, however.
Outside of the financial loss and trouble, Cecil explained that this particular incident hurts due to the damage done to the barn itself. The boards the thief cut through were original barn boards and can't be easily replaced.
"This is a historic barn that was built in 1910 and bought by my grandfather in 1912. It's been in the family for over 100 years," Cecil said. "It's a heritage building in a way. It hurts me because it's classic and somebody vandalized it and I know there's no fixing it to normal."
The barn used to sit across from the GM dealer and was moved to its current location in 1993, she added
Outside of the barn, the only building still standing in 100 Mile House that might be older is the old log house chapel located near Martin Exeter Hall, Cecil said. Regardless of which is older she said the barn is the more iconic, noting most pictures of the town feature it and the ranch in some way.
Cecil believes the businesses and victims are the ones who lose, even if insurance covers some of the loss.
"It maddens me knowing there will be very little consequences even if the thief is charged and found guilty. They rarely lock them up," Cecil remarked. "The police hands are tied, they have to follow the rules and what they're allowed to do."
As for what 100 Mile Ranch will do in the future to try and avoid further incidents, Cecil remarked she doesn't know exactly. She is considering potentially building a new secure building on the property to store their equipment to avoid further damage to the barn.
"That may be the answer, but it's going to cost a lot of money. We'll secure the barn again and try and fix it up and there's not a whole lot else we can do."
