Vandals hit seven Raleigh businesses early Wednesday.
A boarded up door could be seen at Jet's Pizza on Wake Forest Road, where a plank of wood had replaced the spot where a door once stood. Shards of glass were scattered along the sidewalk.
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Maxx Tobacco and Vapor on Atlantic Ave. was also hit, with owner Ammar Almaraisi telling WRAL News that roughly $2,000 worth of damage was caused. The group stole dozens of vape pens and several hundred dollars out of the register. Surveillance video showed a white sedan crashing into the storefront, before several people wearing masks went into the store.
WRAL News learned the break-in at Lagos Supermarket happened right at 1:30 a.m. The owner, Gilberto Santiago, caught it all on his security camera.
Police were investigating break-ins between Tuesday and Wednesday at seven locations:
- 2008 New Bern Ave.
- 3074 Wake Forest Rd.
- 5440 Atlantic Springs Rd.
- 3004 Falls of Neuse Rd.
- 4415 Falls of Neuse
- 5621 Atlantic Ave.
- 5535 Western Blvd.
"They were six kids, young guys, less than 22 years [old]," Santiago said. "They broke the front door, tried to mess with the cash register, but they found nothing because we don't leave money here. Then they're gone. They broke the computers and leave. Less than a minute being here."
He said they broke the front door, his computers, took a few Coca-Colas and left in a matter of minutes.
"Now we have to pay to fix the front doors and all the things," Santiago said. "It's around $5,000 for the computers and the doors."
By the time his security alarm company called him, the cops were already on scene. Santiago said he's glad the police responded so quickly.
"We want to catch those people because they have to stop. They have to stop."
It appeared as if someone came overnight to clean up the mess after the break-in. Raleigh police had made no arrests as of Wednesday afternoon.
Just across the parking lot, the Pet Supply Store also had boarded up doors.
There were also reports of a break-in at Dunkin' Donuts on Falls of Neuse Road. Employees could be seen sweeping up glass from smashed windows, while disappointed customers arrived to crime scene tape surrounding the parking lot.
"Why in the world would they break into a Dunkin’ Donuts?" said one Raleigh resident Michael McCormick. "Were they hungry for donuts or what?"
McCormick said he doesn't understand why they would target stores that probably don’t keep that much money on site.
"They are probably desperate," he said. "I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re looking for, but it’s just kind of senseless really."
The ABC Store at North Hills and Lagos Supermarket Carniceria y Tortilleria on Atlantic Springs Road also appear to have been impacted.