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String of break-ins target East Dallas small shops
East Dallas small business owners are urging the public to identify a suspect believed to be responsible for a string of recent burglaries after multiple shops were hit and surveillance footage was shared across the community.
DALLAS - Several small businesses in East Dallas believe the same man may be responsible for a string of recent break-ins, after owners shared their experiences and surveillance footage on social media. They now hope someone recognizes him and contacts the police.
Dallas businesses hit by string of break-ins
What we know:
The week before Thanksgiving, the owner of Rec Shop in East Dallas discovered money missing from the register. Owner Ben Sharon said he later watched surveillance video showing a burglar stealing almost $1,000.
Sharon posted about the crime on social media. A few weeks later, only about a mile up the street, someone tried to break into Humble Simply Good Pies. The owner recognized that the man shared features similar to the one in Sharon’s surveillance video.
Suspect targeted back doors and cash registers
What they're saying:
"I checked the cameras and saw him coming in the backdoor, and he went straight for the register," Sharon said. He said the man ripped off the security gate at the back of the store and picked up the lock. Sharon filed a police report later that day.
"It’s pretty shocking. Of course, you feel violated when somebody comes into your business and gets what’s yours for no reason at all, so you’re really stunned at first," he said.
"It’s not a great feeling to know that some guy just doesn’t care, he’s going to take full advantage of small business owners like this," said owner Sean Jett.
Owners Share Surveillance Video
Dig deeper:
Jett showed surveillance video that appears to show a man rifling through a toolkit near the restaurant’s back door, attempting to pry the door open and even looking directly into the camera at one point. He wasn’t able to get inside, but left with a hammer and some drill bits.
"He got like 40 dollars worth of tools, but it’s going to cost me three to four hundred dollars to get it fixed," Jett said.
Several other businesses in the area have reported similar break-ins and cash stolen. Dallas police say the incidents are part of an ongoing investigation. The business owners believe someone recognizes the man in their videos and want that person to turn him in.
"To hit the small business owners in a tight-knit community like East Dallas just ain’t right," Sharon said. "Somebody’s going to find you."
In addition to posting on social media, many of the small business owners in the area know each other and communicate regularly. Jett said he is considering creating a business watch group, similar to a neighborhood watch, to help prevent crimes like this in the future.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4's Amelia Jones.