Smash & grab crimes caught on camera

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Some Northeast Fresno business owners are fed up with a rash of break-ins by bold thieves who are smashing windows and grabbing cash in seconds.

Action News has exclusive surveillance video of a couple of thieves who didn't seem to care they were caught on camera.

Some bold burglars didn't even cover their faces or hide from surveillance cameras in the early morning hours of February 10th, when they hit two shops in Northeast Fresno.

It took seconds for bold burglary, but it will be while to recover from it, for salon owner, Maysoon Salah.

"It's very violating," said Salah. "It's psychologically takes a toll on me. I'm going to wake up, work hard, I get robbed, all the income for the day, went away."

Salah's business, Thread and Sugar Salon at First and Herndon, has been burglarized twice in the past six months. She's frustrated because even an alarm system and a surveillance camera weren't enough to keep thieves away. "It makes having a business in Fresno, just even more difficult."

Employees at nearby stores are also concerned about the rash of crime.

Suzanne Soto said, "I've been working here for 10 years and this is the first year we've seen this, multiple times and that's what worries me."

Sergeant Eric Hodge with the Fresno Police Department says officers are also frustrated because they see the repeat criminals, back on the streets.

Sgt. Eric Hodge said, "We're going to keep arresting people, we're going to keep identifying them, we're going to keep putting them in jail and hopefully they'll stay there, and get enough cases where they'll go to prison."

The other store in the surveillance video that was hit, Fresno Village Florist has no outward sign of the burglary but the owner kept this: The rock the thieves used to smash through the front door. Now it's a solid reminder of taking precautions to help prevent future crime.

Fresno police are also telling business owners not to have computers, cash registers or even TV's, visible through the windows. And to leave an empty cash register tray, out in plain sight, so anyone looking in, can see, there's no money in the store.

Get more Local »

caught on tape, crimetracker, burglary, fresno, fresno county, fresno northeast, fresno police department, local, margot kim

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•