PALMETTO BAY, Fla. (WSVN) — Thieves attempting to break into a camera shop in Palmetto Bay were unable to enter the business, nearly two weeks after burglars got away with tens of thousands of dollars in equipment.
Surveillance cameras captured three would-be burglars trying to break into Pitman Photo Supply, located along U.S. 1, near Southwest 144th Street, early Thursday morning.
But this time, the store’s manager said, the crooks were unsuccessful.
“You can see this part of the door, these were completely bent over,” said manager Glenn Eisen as he showed 7News crews the top of the boarded-up entrance door.
The security footage shows the perpetrators pulling up in a white van, taking out a trash can and then attempting to force the door open with crowbars.
But the crooks eventually give up and make a getaway when they hear the alarm.
“Fortunately, they really only damaged the door. They weren’t successful,” said Eisen. “The alarm managed to go off in time.”
The thieves took off before they could take anything. Unfortunately, it was a different story on Sept. 14, when three subjects got in and ransacked the store.
“Basically, they broke the top of this showcase,” said Eisen.
Surveillance video shows the men coming up to the front of the store before one of them breaks open the glass door with a pickax.
Once they’re inside, the burglars don’t waste time, grabbing what they can before one of them smashes a display case.
“It’s definitely a big blow to the store when you have that kind of thing happen,” said Eisen.
Another camera yields a better look as the crooks crack the cases.
“You can see on the video when he hits it with a pickax, and I think he was surprised it didn’t break,” said Eisen. “I sure was.”
The trio caused thousands of dollars in damage and took tens of thousands of dollars worth of expensive camera equipment.
“This kind of thing is really brutal,” said Eisen. “Obviously, there’s not a lot of brick and mortar camera stores left, so anytime we lose inventory like that, it’s really difficult.”
Fortunately, the business didn’t take a big hit during Thursday’s break-in, but Eisen said it won’t be cheap to replace the glass entrance door.
He is also hoping someone watching will help police catch these crooks, so they can pay for their crime.
“Breaking into our place, if they put as much effort as they put into that into a real, normal job, I think they’d be doing pretty well for themselves,” he said.
If you have any information on these break-ins, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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