Phoenixville Cops Hunt For Serial Smash-and-Grab Thief
By Elizabeth Hur
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (CBS) -- Eyewitness News is On Your Side with an important crime alert.
Police in Phoenixville are investigating a series of smash and grab burglaries.
In all cases, the suspect used a large rock to break the glass doors to get into the businesses. Surveillance video from one of the break-ins actually shows the suspect trying a door twice but when that fails, police believe he got in through a window. He's then seen heading straight for the cash register and clearly in a rush, he struggles at first but ultimately runs out of the store with the cash register.
Victoria Truong with Ethan Nail Salon and Spa, one of the burglarized businesses said, "It's scary because it's Phoenixville and you don't really think nothing like that happens especially with the Acme right there."
But according to police, the suspect hit six stores in Phoenixville this month alone. All of the burglaries occurred in the overnight hours and four of the stores were in the Acme Shopping Center on Starr Street. The owners there say, despite all of his troubles, the suspect got away with nothing.
Truong explained, "We don't keep money here [overnight]. Never, ever. Even though there's cash register in there, there's nothing in there. It's not worth their time."
Police won't say if the suspect fared any better in the other two stores. Police did, however, release the surveillance video to Eyewitness News to ask the public to be on the lookout.
Turns out, it is possible the same suspect may have hit a seventh store just this week. This time police say a pizza shop in nearby East Pikeland was burglarized in the same manner.
The suspect is described as a light-skinned black or Hispanic male with short beard, approximately 5'8''. In one of the burglaries, he was seen wearing a white t-shirt and hooded sweatshirt with stripes down both sleeves.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sgt. Joe Nemic at Phoenixville Police Detectives by calling (610) 933-1180 ext.815 or via his email: jnemic@phoenixville.org
