‘No one’s got the money to actually pay us back:’ Store owner speaks out after spree of burglaries in Lynchburg

Tyler Bivins, Wilbert Butler arrested, facing several charges including grand larceny

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Two men and four known crime scenes.

Tyler Bivins and Wilbert Butler are facing several charges including grand larceny and breaking and entering.

Some Lynchburg business owners said they’re glad the suspects are behind bars after allegedly hitting one business after another in the Hill City.

Things are somewhat back to normal for Honda Suzuki’s co-owner Joel Johnson.

“Basically, dealing every day with the insurance company,” Johnson said.

The bike shop on 12th Street is still cleaning up from a burglary last Friday.

“(We) had glass everywhere and multiple bikes missing,” Johnson said.

Lynchburg police say Bivins, 20, from Lynchburg, and Butler, 22, from Madison Heights, were arrested in connection with a series of burglaries.

Police said the duo started in November when they stole cash from the Burger King on Memorial Avenue.

Then, police said the pair was back at it again, taking an undisclosed amount of property from the Old Forest Road Walmart on Jan. 2.

The very next day is when Johnson’s shop was hit.

“You can see the glass move from the video across the street and it’s clearly the kid’s head hitting it,” Johnson said.

Police said the pair’s most recent crime was two days ago.

Investigators said they chased Bivins and Butler down after they allegedly broke into W&W Novelty on Lakeside Drive and stole 12 guns.

“We had other cases that were being worked simultaneously. We didn’t know at the time they were connected. When we did a crime of the week release, through Crime Stoppers, we received some tips through there and other officers that were working those cases recognized them,” Sgt. Brian Williams said.

For Johnson, this recent burglary is only the second he's seen in decades.

Some would consider that lucky, but the payback for a small business owner isn’t enough for what was already done.

“No one’s got the money to actually pay us back or pay the insurance company back for anything. We had a bike stolen from us, I think 12 years ago. The kid that stole it 12 years ago is still paying us restitution now. We get like a check $20 bucks a month,” Johnson said.