Robber burns grocery-store clerk

A grocery-store cashier suffered minor injuries during the weekend after a robber sprayed her in the face with a substance that may have been pepper spray.According to police report, the 29-year-old Eudora woman was working about 4:50 a.m. Sunday at Hy-Vee, 3504 Clinton Pkwy., when a man came into the store asking for change, then sprayed her with an unidentified substance. “It could have been any number of things that caused a burning sensation,” LPD spokeswoman Kim Murphree said. “It made her have to protect her face… She alleges that he reached over to the cash register, but because she had her face covered she didn’t see much.”It’s not known how much money, if any, the man stole. He was described as a black male about 5 feet 7 inches tall with braided hair, last seen wearing a royal-blue baseball cap and baggy pants. Police ask anyone with information to call the department at 832-7501 or the CrimeStoppers hotline at 843-TIPS.In other crime news…At least two people have reported having their cars burglarized in broad daylight in recent days in the parking lot of Holcom Park Recreation Center, 2700 W. 27th. The burglaries- one on Dec. 26 and one on Sunday – prompted the center’s staff to post signs reminding patrons to leave their valuables at home or keep them locked in the glove box or trunk, said Tim Laurent, facilities operations supervisor for the city’s parks and recreation department.”We’ve had this problem there before,” Laurent said. “For some reason, we’ve had more break-ins at that facility than at any other of ours.”The first burglary happened between 3:30 and 4:20 p.m. Dec. 26, when a 48-year-old woman reported $200 worth of damage to a window of her vehicle and $330 worth of property stolen from inside, Lawrence Police spokeswoman Kim Murphree said.Between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, a 39-year-old woman reported $100 damage to the window of her vehicle and $49 worth of items stolen.-contributed by Eric Weslander.