Authorities believe that the break-ins, which all happened within an hour's time, are connected.
Two of them happened at convenience stores along Highway 87 near the Rockingham-Caswell County line. At Ross's Grocery store, the suspects smashed the front window with a flower pot and surprised the owner who was sleeping in the back. Jesse Ross fired two shots at a masked man who got away. The sheriff believes that the same men broke into a third store Wednesday in Alamance County. Anyone who has information about the crimes should call their local Crimestoppers.