Authorities in south Florida are searching for a thief caught on video breaking into two vape shops.
The suspect, described as a white male of medium build, is responsible for robbing two separate Ignite Vapors stores on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said.
Video footage of the first robbery, which took place around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 5, shows the man shooting through the front window of the business until it shattered, then walking through the hole with his bag.
According to the sheriff’s office, he loaded the bag with vaping supplies before exiting the back door and jumping over a large concrete wall.
THIEF JOINS VIDEO OF STEALING ELECTRIC CARAVAN; Maryland State Police are offering a $10,000 reward
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office surveillance footage shows a man shooting through the glass door of an electronic vape shop before robbing it.
(Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
The second robbery happened three days later at another Ignite Vapors. The suspect fired multiple shots into the store’s front window before entering the cash register and robbing it. He then fled the business heading south on Cattlemen Road, the sheriff said.
in an interview with Fox 13 Tampa BayJudge Dana of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said the man appeared to prioritize speed over cunning.
“Maybe he thinks it’s the fastest way, but it seems the only reason it’s happening is because it’s certainly a noisy way,” the judge said. “He looks very agile because in some videos he jumped over counters, he jumped over a concrete wall to escape behind one of the shops.”
The judge told Fox 13 it’s rare to see a burglar use a gun to break into a business, and investigators hope that fact will help them arrest the suspect.
Surveillance footage from an electronics store in Sarasota County shows a thief shooting through the store’s front window before stealing a register.
(Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
TEXAS PORCH PIRATES RETURN PACKAGES THEY STOLEN: ‘IT WAS A SHOCK’
Similar break-ins occurred in neighboring Manatee County, prompting the two sheriff’s offices to work together to solve the crimes.
MCSO says three vape shops in its jurisdiction have been targeted in recent weeks, and two within an hour of each other were robbed. Surveillance footage shows at least five masked men involved in the two crimes.
Five masked suspects were seen breaking into a vape shop in Manatee County, Florida. Authorities say several vape shops in the area have been robbed in recent weeks.
(Manatee County Sheriff’s Office)
“Someone may be able to stand or walk or recognize someone who is offering to sell these products to them. So we hope that someone in the community will be compelled to make a report,” the judge said.
The stores are reportedly not far from neighborhoods, and authorities hope to catch the armed suspects before anyone gets hurt.
“These are not very popular places in the middle of the night, but of course people live in places not too far away,” the judge added.
Anyone with information related to any of the robberies is asked to call police at 941-861-4244 or Crimestoppers at 941-366-8477. Tips can also be submitted online crimestoppers.com.