Police are searching for four people who were captured on surveillance video smashing their way into a Wilton Manors smoke shop.
According to Wilton Manors Police, the burglary took place at the Vape & Smoke Shop, located at 2605 North Dixie Highway, at around 2:45 a.m. on Thursday.
Investigators said the group threw a table from a nearby yogurt shop through one of the store’s windows.
Once inside, the subjects jumped over the counter while the alarm rang and worked quickly to snatch products from the wall.
“Once they smashed in through the glass, they jumped over the showcase and just started taking vapes from the wall and a vape display with them,” said store manager Elena Carmona.
Just last month, two people were arrested in connection to an armed robbery at the World of Smoke & Vape shop, also in Wilton Manors. Authorities said the duo stole $800.
Authorities said another thief also made off with $8,000 worth of products from the Drag on the Drive smoke shop, also in Wilton Manors, in July 2024.
“He started to put every pre-roll we had into his backpack,” Candice Rossi, whose friend owned the shop, said last year.
Back at the Vape & Smoke Shop, the group was gone with nearly $1,500 in products in 15 seconds. Carmona said the financial hit really hurts her business.
“It’s sometimes really tight, expenses are really high,” said Carmona. “It’s been difficult and, when things like this happen, it kind of sets us back tremendously.”
The store said they’re still cleaning up shards of glass more than 17 hours after the break-in, but they are just thankful the subjects didn’t take any of the display cases, because those are very difficult for them to replace.
If you have any information on this burglary or the subjects’ whereabouts, call the Wilton Manors Police Department at 954-390-2172 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.