The events all happened the same night, around 4 a.m. April 11.
Englewood police are investigating break-ins at Verizon, 1160 South Main Street, and T-Mobile, 807 Union Road.
Surveillance video shows 10 suspects — believed to be young and both males and females — forcing entry; ransacking the stores; and fleeing within 45 seconds.
There were two suspect vehicles involved, one of which was stolen out of Harrison Twp.
EARLIER REPORT
Surveillance video captured an early morning break-in this week at Palmer Firearms.
The store’s owner said the suspects, who appear to be juveniles, got a big surprise after they got inside his gunshop at 2338 Grange Hall Road, Beavercreek.
The suspects around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday parked their cars in front of the store and ran up to the front door. The store security cameras show a group of young people trying to throw a rock through the door, but the stone repeatedly bounces back.
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They finally decide to target the large window to the side, and 10 people, including three or four girls, jump and climb into the store.
But they can’t find any weapons because the owner of the shop, which has been at that location for seven years, removed his merchandise from display.
Some of the break-in suspects then turn to vandalism, including one girl who picks up a laptop and smashes it to the floor.
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Just as quickly as they smashed their way inside, they all scramble right back out and get into their cars and leave, empty-handed.
The owner of the surplus gun shop said the cost of the window and door glass damage is in the thousands, and the laptop is hundreds of dollars.
His next-door business neighbors said they feel his pain.
“They break your window, your door, if you count the computer, it’s a lot of money. It hurts his bottom line,” said Daniel Huiet, who owns the Great Escape Game along with Mike Keggan and went to high school with the gun store owner.
They said security cameras showed the suspects in the area 20 minutes before the break-in.
>> SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Suspects smash into Miami Twp. gun shop
“They walked by and scoped out our business before breaking into his, kind of crazy a little bit,” Huiet said.
It’s the fifth time the gun shop has been targeted by thieves, but never so many at one time.
He and Great Escape Game owners are already working on plans for increased security for their side-by-side stores.
“It’s unfortunate but I think it’s a step in the right direction,” Keggan said.
The increased security would include cameras that cover the parking lots as well, they said.
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