JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Several businesses in a strip mall on University near Philips Highway were burglarized late Friday night in a string of burglaries in the area, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
A Jersey Mike’s restaurant, Cricket Mobile store and an H & R Block were broken into, police said.
Although no money was stolen from the strip mall businesses, thieves were successful at some of the other 15-20 locations along University Boulevard, Beach Boulevard and Emerson Street that were targeted, police said.
Authorities have not released information regarding the other break-ins.
Police said the thieves broke into three businesses by smashing the front door windows.
“They didn't steal anything. They left all the drawers open. They broke the safe -- we got that fixed. Yeah, just a random hit. It makes no sense. They didn't steal anything, so it was pointless for them to do it,” Cricket Mobile employee Teehany Ann Perez said. “You would think with all the phones accessories, a case for a phone, but no they didn't steal anything.”
Police are hopeful that the men who did this will be caught. Because many of the businesses have surveillance video inside and outside of their stores, police said they are hopeful the thieves will be caught.
“Around 2:30 (a.m.) a blue car pulled up and three African Americans came in and broke into the store,” Perez said.
Perez told News4Jax she believes cash was their main goal. She said the safe was completely broken on the dial pad. The men also opened the back door to try to move the safe out, but the weight most likely stopped them.
A manager at Jersey Mike's said its cash register was messed with, but the men were not successful in breaking it open.
Police are waiting to get the surveillance videos from all the stores and review them, eventually, images will be released.