Suspect charged in burglary of Bigfork store

A man has been charged with burglarizing the Bigfork Stage Stop early Monday morning. Cole James Cleasby, 19, a former employee of the store, was charged with felony burglary in Flathead District Court.

According to court documents, a manager called the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office to report a burglary at 1 a.m. after someone found that a rock had been thrown through the store’s glass doors.  

Several cartons of cigarettes were stolen. Surveillance cameras led authorities to believe Cleasby was responsible.

Cleasby met with officers that morning and reportedly confessed to the crime. The stolen cigarettes allegedly were found in his vehicle.