MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Luxury perfume and cologne were scattered across the floor of the Perfumes and I store in southwest Miami-Dade, after thieves smashed right through the front door and ransacked the fragrance boutique just after midnight in mid-July.
“They took all of my expensive perfume; it was right here on this side,” said owner Jesse Ross.
The crooks were captured on surveillance video.
They first pulled up to the shopping center off Coral Way and Southwest 137th Avenue, broke the glass door, and crawled inside, loading up with what Ross said is more than $20,000 in merchandise.
“This one cost like $300 and they took like 16 of this one,” Ross said.
The thieves brought large boxes and filled them with perfume. While they managed to get away before police arrived, Ross said the police response was “really quick, but they had already left.”
Just seven miles away near Southwest 82nd Avenue and Bird Road, Ross learned that another fragrance boutique was hit by what she believes are the same criminals just days earlier.
Video from inside Sadu Luxury Perfumes shows the thieves using the same black bins, but this time, there were four of them.
hey broke through the front door, crawled inside, and stole what that owner reported as more than $30,000 in fragrances.
While they too took off before police arrived, business owners like Ross are hoping the suspects are caught before they strike again.
“It is sad to see how someone can steal from you — all your hard work,” Ross said.
Miami-Dade police say they’re investigating whether the break-ins are related.
Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.