ST. JOHNS, Fla. – A professional group of burglars using at least three cars was responsible for several smash-and-grab burglaries in a shopping center off County Road 210 in St. Johns County, deputies said.
Investigators said the break-ins are part of a growing trend of organized crime rings burglarizing businesses off I-95, often hitting cellphone stores or retail sunglasses or clothing stores.
They said the thieves strike in the early morning hours, then jump onto the interstate and do it again the next night.
The crooks, who often use search engines and cellphones to select their targets, sell what they steal on the black market, investigators said.
The thieves hit the Rivertown Fine Wine & Spirits and Verizon stores about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Johns Creek Center at CR 210 and St. Johns Parkway, investigators said.
The glass front doors of both stores were shattered.
IMAGES: Smash-and-grab burglaries at shopping center
Verizon locks up everything overnight. The liquor store reported $300 to $400 taken from a pancreas cancer charity jar and about $8,000 worth of high-end alcohol, including a bottle valued at $900, along with cash from the register, the store's owner, Frank Dvoravic, said.
Dvoravic's wife is a 10-year pancreatic cancer survivor and several customers came to the store after hearing of the burglary to donate to the charity jar. A GoFundMe account was also started and raised over $200 in a day.
Dvoravic said it's possible that as many as eight men were involved in the burglaries, because he saw them on his surveillance video. Detectives reviewed Dvoravic's surveillance video and video from the Verizon store.
The burglars covered their faces, but the video showed clear shots of their cars. The video shows the men come in fast and take the alcohol and cash from the liquor store in about 3 minutes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 904-824-8304 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277 8477.
Investigators said recent crimes at the St. Augustine outlets also appear to have been carried out by similar crime rings.