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Thieves target vape shops in Manatee, Sarasota Counties
Kimberly Kuizon reports.
SARASOTA, Fla. - When one gun shot wasn't enough to break the glass at Ignite Vapors on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, the suspect fired again. Surveillance video from inside the store shows the person push their way through the broken glass.
That was on December 5. Three days later, it happened again at a second Ignite Vape store location. Officials in Manatee County have responded to similar crimes, prompting the two agencies to work together in hopes of taking armed criminals off the streets.
In surveillance video from the stores in Sarasota, the first suspect moves quickly to steal the cash register and products. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said the suspect appears to prefer speed to stealth.
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Raw video: Armed burglars shoot way into Sarasota vape shops
Sarasota County Sheriff's Office provided video from 2 vape shops where burglars shot their way through the front glass then stole money and merchandise.
"Maybe he thinks it’s the fastest way, but that seems to be the only reason that would happen because it certainly is a noisy way," said Dana Judge with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. "He seems pretty agile because he’s jumped over counters in some of the videos, he jumped over a concrete wall to escape over the back of one of the stores."
Judge said it's unusual to see a burglar use a gun to gain entry to a business. Investigators hope that will be the difference that helps them solve the case and arrest the suspect.
Surveillance video shows burglar shoot his way into Sarasota vape shop (Sarasota Sheriff's Office)
And while the two burglaries happened in Sarasota County, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said similar crimes are happening in its jurisdiction. Three vape shops have been targeted there in the last few weeks.
Two of the stores, just a few miles apart, were hit in the same hour. Surveillance photos show five masked suspects were involved in both crimes.
Both the Sarasota and Manatee County Sheriff's offices hope to find those responsible.
"Someone may recognize the way someone stands or the way someone walks or someone who has offered to sell these products to them. So we are hopeful someone in the community will feel compelled to report," said Judge.
The crimes in both counties happened at night, after the stores had closed. Authorities hope to catch the armed burglars before someone gets hurt.
"These areas are not far from neighborhoods. These, in the middle of the night, no are not very popular areas, but certainly areas where people live not very far away," said Judge.
Anyone with information related to either incident is asked to contact Criminal Investigations at 941-861-4244 or Crimestoppers at 941-366-TIPS or visit Crimestoppers.com.