AVENTURA, FLA. (WSVN) - - A South Florida jewelry store was damaged after, police said, three would-be burglars crashed into it.
7News cameras on Thursday captured crews boarding up the front of International Jewelers Exchange, located at 19275 Biscayne Blvd. in Aventura.
Security at the jewelry store told 7News that that subjects used a stolen flatbed truck to drive through the front of the store.
“They backed the flatbed into the area here where you see it’s all boarded up, backed in through the store,” said Tony Austin, head of security.
Surveillance video from inside the store captured the moment the truck crashed into the front of the business.
According to Aventura Police, a call came in at 6:14 a.m. regarding an attempted burglary.
The security footage captured the perpetrators running into the store to discover something they may not have anticipated: all the display cases were empty.
The trio scrambled around for a bit, One of them appeared to try to open something — it’s not clear if it’s a display case or a door — before giving up after a few seconds.
Police said they arrived quickly and scared the men away.
“Nothing was taken, they fled the scene, they left the original flatbed over there, and they fled by some other means,” Austin said.
At around noon, workers returned to the store to board up a massive hole. They spent much of the day cleaning up and boarding up the business.
“I was shocked to come and see it like that, it’s terrible,” said Matilda, a shopper. “I was here yesterday last night, it was so nice.”
7News on Friday spoke with a man who had a booth at the store who said that emptying the cases is a common practice in the business.
“It’s normal, nobody ever leaves something in the case, they always put it in the safe,” he said. “We never leave stuff in the case, on the showcase, always in the safe.”
No injuries were reported.
The subjects remain at large.
If you have any information on this break-in 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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