Truck Smash & Grab Thieves Almost Caught
The crooks who’ve been using a truck to smash and grab Colorado Springs businesses were almost caught early Friday morning. About 3:15 a.m. Police spotted a truck near one of the three businesses that had been burglarized on Thursday. It was in the 4800 block of North Academy Boulevard at the Third Day Apothecary. Officers chased the stolen truck. It crashed into a parked car and the suspects took off running. A K9 Unit tried to catch the crooks, but high winds didn’t help keep the dogs on the scent.
Before the chase the Precious Gold and Metal store at 317 North Union was the target of the crooks. The criminals didn’t get into the building. They did damage the exterior door. The Ace Pawn & Loan at 3688 North Academy Boulevard was hit for a second time.
Ace Manager Derrick White tells me, “About 12:30 Friday morning, someone busted the back window and got into the building. They also drove through the garage door, got out and stole some odds and ends.” White and his crew are doing extensive repairs to the building to make it much more difficult for crooks to gain entry. White said, “We’re prepared. We’re making ourselves stronger every time.”
Ace Pawn & Loan is also offering a 500 dollar reward for information that leads to the capture of the smash and grab thieves.
Nearby business owners are also doing more to beef up security. Glenn’s Jewelry and Loans is near Ace Pawn & Loan. Steven Pederson is the manager. He showed me some of the extensive upgrades to his business to prevent a ripoff. They include 16 cameras that are pointed inside and outside the building. Pederson says, “The clarity is quite good. I can pull up the video at any given time. If I am on vacation, out of town. I can pull up the video at any moment off my phone. The video on the cameras is always being recorded and can be given to Police at a moment’s notice. Pederson says, ” I think everyone in the community needs to be proactive and try to assist the police as much as we can in the situation.”
If you know something about the truck, smash and grab thieves, call Colorado Springs Police at 444-7000 or call Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP. Crime Stoppers only wants your information. You can remain anonymous.
