Fairborn man charged in string of Yellow Springs business break-ins

Matthew Bricker, 21, has been charged with robbery in connection with a string of business break-ins in Yellow Springs.

Matthew Bricker, 21, has been charged with robbery in connection with a string of business break-ins in Yellow Springs.

A Fairborn man has been charged in connection with a string of business district break-ins in Yellow Springs.

Matthew Bricker, 21, has been charged on one count of robbery, two counts of breaking and entering, and one count of possessing criminal tools, according to Xenia Municipal Court records, in connection with a robbery at two Yellow Springs businesses early Monday morning.

The robbery charge is a second-degree felony, and breaking and entering and possession charges are both fifth-degree felonies.

Bricker was arrested by Yellow Springs police on Tuesday, following a month-long string of robberies in the village’s business district.

Around 6 a.m. Monday morning, CCTV video shared with the Dayton Daily News allegedly shows Bricker breaking out the window of Heaven on Earth Emporium in Yellow Springs. Glen’s Garden Gifts was also broken into early that same morning.

In this screenshot from CCTV footage provided by the business owner, a suspect robs the cash register of Heaven on Earth Emporium in Yellow Springs early Monday morning. The robbery is the latest in a series of break-ins targeting local businesses in the village. CONTRIBUTED

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The robberies began overnight on June 14, the weekend of the Yellow Springs Street Fair, the Dayton Daily News previously reported. Bentino’s Pizza, Wander & Wonder, Tibet Bazaar and Village Herb Shoppe were all broken into that same weekend.

“These charges are related only to the breaking and entering incidents on July 15, 2025,” the Yellow Springs Police Department said in a statement. “Our department will be submitting a request for charges related to the previous incidents in the coming days/weeks. Until someone is charged in those prior incidents we cannot identify a suspect.”

Bricker’s bond has been set at $200,000.

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