TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - It’s grab and go for a crook who asked to see a brand new phone at a business and then bolted for the exit.
The accused cell phone bandit ran out of a store with two phones, and an employee chased after him.
“It’s hard because, you know, it’s slow nowadays, too, so two phones hurts,” said R.J., owner of Phone Repair Guy in Tamarac.
The owner of the Phone Repair Guy in Tamarac said it happened Monday morning.
“He was trying to buy an iPhone 11 Pro Max, and he was trying to buy an iPhone 11 Pro,” said R.J.
He added that the guy was trying to be slick by distracting his employee. He believes he had someone call the shop at the right moment.
“When the employee went to pick up the phone and everything, that’s when he grabbed the phones and just ran outside,” said R.J.
When that person bolted, the owner said he dropped the original phone he was trying to trade-in.
“Come to find out the police came back and told us that that was a stolen phone from another shop too,” said R.J.
Then, it happened again, Thursday morning, to a different Phone Repair Guy store in Broward County, but they believe it’s the same person.
Surveillance video shows someone with an employee, appearing to hold two phones and then taking off. Once again, the employee ran after them.
“He gave the same exact name too on the receipt,” said R.J.
For the two phones stolen from his Tamarac store, R.J. said he’s out nearly $1,000.
“When the cops told us it happened to another shop, and then it happened to us, and then a couple of days later, it happens to our other location, you know, it’s just like, he has to be stopped at one point,” said R.J.
R.J. said he plans to make changes at his shop to try to prevent something like this from happening again.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.