MIAMI (WSVN) - A South Florida store owner has been left reeling, hours after, he said, thieves smashed their way into his business to steal merchandise.
Percy Siriwardana spent his Sunday afternoon boarding up the front window of his convenience store, located along the 600 block of Southwest 12th Avenue in Miami.
“This area is a very bad area,” he said.
According to City of Miami Police, the perpetrators shattered a window to break into the store at around 4 a.m. The brazen burglars then knocked down a large cooler as they made their way inside.
Siriwardana said the thieves ransacked the store, knocking down shelves in addition to the cooler.
“I saw that everything fell down,” said Siriwardana. “This one, that one, this cooler, everything falls down.”
Within minutes, first responders arrived at the scene and formed a perimeter around the store. K9 units helped search for the subjects.
After a quick scan with their guns drawn, police went into the business to hopefully catch the thieves and investigate. No one was found inside.
Siriwardana said the crooks caused more than $2,000 in damage. Cellphone photos captured the mess they left behind.
As detectives try to track down the burglars, Siriwardana said he’s thankful more damage wasn’t done.
“I realize I am happy. I saw the police, I am happy,” he said. “Actually, they stayed outside.”
Police said their next step is to examine surveillance video.
If you have any information on this burglary, 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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