SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Sunny Isles Beach Police seek the public’s help in their search for a thief who, they said, smashed his way into two restaurants and a cellphone store during the overnight hours and took off with money and merchandise.
Investigators said all three businesses that were targeted early Friday morning are located at a shopping plaza along Collins Avenue and 174th Street.
The string of burglaries left those running the businesses in shock.
One of the businesses that were broken into was Juice & Java,
”This is Sunny Isles Beach. Things like this don’t typically happen,” said Michael Lustigman with Juice & Java.
Investigators said the subject shattered the glass of the three businesses, and once inside, he went to work.
“From one of the stores, there were some cellphones and computers taken, and from some of the other stores, the cash registers, along with some cash, were taken,” said Sunny Isles Beach Police Sgt. Brian Schnell.
Surveillance video captured the thief at Cell Phone Repairs grabbing a handful of laptops.
He was also seen digging through the cash register at Juice & Java.
Friday evening, 7News cameras captured the entrance to Timo Italian Restaurant boarded up with plywood.
Bryan Lawrence, the manager of the restaurant, said the burglar did the same thing to them.
“Came in the door, broke through the glass, made his way over to, I guess, our bar area, and rummaged through everything and took the cash pan that had some money in there,” he said.
After he was done, police said, he got away, leaving each business without loads of cash and expensive valuables.
They were also left with a huge mess to clean up.
“It never feels good, you know?” said Lustigman. “You’ve got to stay vigilant, you’ve got to stay aware, to know that there’s people out there looking to do these bad things.”
If you have any information on these burglaries or the subject’s 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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