PALMETTO BAY, Fla. (WSVN) – The owner of a smoke shop in Palmetto Bay is hoping clear surveillance video will lead to the capture of three thieves who, she said, stole hundreds of dollars worth of vapes.
Speaking with 7News on Friday, the owner of the Stoned Goat Smoke and Vape Shop said the business has only been open less than a year and it’s hurt by Sunday’s theft.
“We’re brand-new, and we’ve only been in the business about seven months now, so, yeah, it does hurt, especially on days that there’s slow days and no business,” said the owner, who asked not to be identified or show her face on camera.
Just after 7:20 p.m. on Sunday, a male subject wearing a Sketchy skeleton sweater, a dashing door holder and a squatted spotter ripped off the owners when they took off with about five to six vapes.
“I’m a mom, you know, and it’s like, these kids are young, and I just wish to have something better else to do,” said the owner.
The owner said the thief grabbed a couple of vapes and then put them down on the counter. When he was asked for his ID, he grabbed all the vapes and ran out.
“I’m glad it ended that way, and no one was hurt,” said the owner
The security footage shows the three thieves working in unison. The subject wearing the skeleton sweater is seen motioning to the door holder before they made a run for it.
“And also, what I watched on the camera, it scared me. I probably would freeze; I wouldn’t know what to do in that situation,” said the owner.
The shop owner had a volunteer working at the store at the time of the incident.
The owner said the thieves stole five to six vapes.
“The vapes that they took are not from behind the counter, from what I found out. They were on the shelves on our other wall, and they are the more expensive vapes, and they probably were about $60 apiece,” said the owner.
Now the owner hopes that police are able to smoke out the thieving trio.
“We’re not going anywhere. We got into this business to stay in it for a while, so we’re gonna be there, and we’re gonna be tough,” said the owner.
The only positive aspect out of this, the shop owner said, is the sense of community she felt from other shop owners.
The owner said she posted the video on Instagram, and people in the area told her that they recognized these thieves.
The store owner said other smoke shop owners reached out to her, and now they are banding together in an effort to stop these thieves from striking again.
If you have any information on this theft or the subjects’ whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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