Authorities in South Florida are searching for a burglar caught on video breaking into two vape shops shooting glass in front of the businesses.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, who is described as a white male of average build, is responsible for robbing two separate Ignite Vapors stores on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota.
The first robbery took place on December 5 at around 2:30 am. Video footage shows the man firing at the glass front door of the business until it shattered, then climbing through the hole with a duffel bag.
He loaded the bag with vaping supplies before heading out the back door and over a large concrete wall, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Surveillance footage from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office shows a man shooting at the glass door of a vape shop before robbing it.
(Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
The second robbery took place three days later on another Ignite Vapors. The suspect shoots the store window multiple times before entering and robbing a cash register. The sheriff’s office said he then fled the business south on Cattlemen Road.
In an interview with Fox 13 Tampa Bay, Dana Judge of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said the man appears to prioritize speed over stealth.
“Maybe he thinks it’s the fastest way, but that seems to be the only reason it would happen because it’s certainly a loud way,” Judge said. “He seems quite agile because he jumped over counters in some of the videos, he jumped over a concrete wall to escape through the back of one of the stores.”
The judge told Fox 13 that 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 at a Sarasota County vape store shows a burglar shooting the store’s front window before robbing the cash register.
(Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
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Similar robberies have occurred in neighboring Manatee County, prompting both sheriff’s offices to work together to solve the crimes.
The MCSO said three vape shops in its jurisdiction have been attacked in recent weeks and two stores miles away were robbed in the same hour. Surveillance photos show at least five masked people involved in both crimes.
Five masked suspects are 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 can recognize the way someone stands or the way someone walks or someone who has offered to sell you these products. So we hope someone in the community feels compelled to report,” Judge said.
The stores are reportedly not too far from neighborhoods and authorities hope to catch the armed suspects before anyone is hurt.
“These, in the middle of the night, are not very popular areas, but certainly areas where people live not far away,” Judge added.
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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 at crimetoppers.com.
