Colorado Springs smoke shop has $20,000 stolen on New Years Day, asking for help to find suspects
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A local business owner in Colorado Springs is out thousands of dollars after a burglary on New Year's Day and is asking for the public's help in identifying the suspects.
Colorado Springs Police say they got a report of a 'cold burglary' just after 8:00 a.m. on the morning of January 1, that happened at the Speedys Smoke Shop along Airport Road in eastern Colorado Springs.
The shop owner, Carmen Garcia who also owns the neighboring Los Compadres Liquor Store says the alleged suspects first broke into her car at her home in the early morning hours of New Year's Day and found the keys to her businesses in the process. Garcia says they then tried to use the keys to open the entrance to the liquor store, which she says did not work before they went to the smoke shop and stole a safe that contained upwards of $20,000.
Garcia explains that the suspects must have had inside knowledge or connections to her businesses since they knew the keys in her car were for the liquor store and smoke shop, and that they knew where to look for the safe upon their entrance. She added it appears they even typed in a code to the safe, before taking it altogether.
She says the burglary left her feeling lost and scared for the safety of her family since the suspects knew so much about her.
"It's just so much involved that I right now, at this point, I feel lost because I feel that, you know, we haven't even been able to get much sleep because I feel like we know who's watching. I don't know," said Garcia.
Garcia shared the below photos with KRDO13 from one of her neighboring businesses' surveillance cameras that morning. It shows a person wearing a white sweatshirt with a blue Vans logo, as well as a striped gray beanie on their head, with their hood up walking toward the camera down a sidewalk.
It appears through additional photos, that the alleged suspect in the white sweatshirt may have had another person with them during the burglary as seen below. That person is seen sporting all-black attire with white shoes.
Afterward, the two suspects fled out the back of the small plaza, in this white sedan, also captured by security footage.
Colorado Springs Police say they are aware of the case and are actively investigating the burglary.
Garcia says she is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that could lead to the suspects' arrest.
