FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – A local business owner turned lemons into social media lemonade after a burglar stole hundreds of dollars’ worth of merchandise from her shop. She opted to create a viral video that’s helping in the search for the suspect.
Ashley Shaw, owner of The Salty Local, discovered the break-in when she noticed an entire row of perfume testers missing from her store.
Rather than only filing a police report, Shaw decided to review her security footage. What she saw inspired her to create a humorous video about the incident.
“I really didn’t even realize anything had happened until I started cleaning,” Shaw said. “Then I started looking back on some video and realized there was somebody in the store in the middle of the night.”
Video goes viral
What started as a creative attempt to identify the suspect has transformed into a social media sensation.
The video has garnered over 50,000 views, far exceeding Shaw’s expectations.
“I thought it would just help, but I didn’t think it would get that many views,” Shaw said.
The Fernandina Beach Police Department shared Shaw’s humor, even reposting her video.
However, authorities emphasize they’re taking the crime seriously. The burglar made off with more than $600 worth of merchandise.
Business resilience
Despite the loss, Shaw continues to maintain her positive attitude, creating additional humorous content about the incident while working with law enforcement to identify the suspect.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information about the burglary is encouraged to contact the Fernandina Beach Police Department at 904-277-7342.