WATERVILLE — Police on Wednesday were investigating an early morning store burglary after thieves fled with the cash register.

The glass in the front door of the College Quik Stop on West River Road was smashed sometime around 1:30 or 2 a.m. Wednesday and the cash register ripped off the counter, said Detective Sgt. Michael Benecke.

“They took the whole register,” Benecke said.

The money in the cash register was insignificant, Benecke said.

Damage to the glass door, however, was not.

“Since it was safety glass, it will not be an inexpensive repair,” Benecke said.

Police were alerted to the burglary shortly after it happened, he said. Sgt. Daniel Ames and officers Jason Longley and Alden Weigelt responded to the scene.

At least two people were involved in the burglary, Benecke said.

“We don’t have any definitive suspects yet, but it’s still very early in the investigation,” he said.

Benecke asked anyone who may have seen or heard anything to contact police at 680-4700 or watervillepolice.org. The tip will remain anonymous, he said.

Benecke said it is too early to say whether the burglary is related to a similar one Tuesday morning at Dunkin’ Donuts on College Avenue.

In that incident, a women entered the store after the window was smashed with a rock, removed a cash drawer, passed it to an accomplice through the broken window, then escaped on foot toward Main Street, Deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey said Tuesday.

The store’s surveillance video shows the burglary lasted less than two minutes, Rumsey said. He wouldn’t say how much money was stolen.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com