Workers at the Ironton city garage are reeling from a break-in at the facility over the weekend.

The thief or thieves broke windows to gain access and once there opened exterior doors from the inside.

“They did damage to inside locks, and they did damage to entry doors on the inside of the garage,” Mike Pemberton, street, sanitation and flood superintendent, said.

The damage was discovered when workers came into the garage Monday morning.

Pemberton said whoever broke in stole weed eaters, chainsaws, drills and other tools from the garage.

“Really, we haven’t had time to go over inventory,” he said. “This must have happened Saturday or Sunday, probably Sunday. They gained entry on just about every inside door.”

Whoever broke into the garage also used a grinder to break into soda machines.

Pemberton estimates that the damage to the garage and the stolen tools will cost the city around $5,000.

“That’s just a guess,” he said. “It could be lower or higher.”

This is the second time the city garage has been broken into in the last month.

The first time, which was two or three weeks ago, thieves moved a vehicle that was blocking an outside entrance to a room where the Ironton Municipal Court keeps its equipment. In the process, the door and the vehicle were damaged and equipment was stolen.

Mayor Rich Blankenship commented that he does not know who would steal the equipment.

Pemberton said he thinks the same person broke into the building both times.

“It appears to be (the same person)” Pemberton said. “They knew exactly where everything was at. I’m not a not a private investigator but just seeing it, it looks like it’s the same people.”

The Ironton Police Department is investigating the incident.

Pemberton said they are looking to increase security at the facility.

“We’re going to try to put some kind of alarm system or cameras,” he said.

“We just don’t know yet. Once we find out what’s missing and secure the garage back we’ve still got doors to be repaired. A lot of the doors have to be replaced.”