Targeted thefts at Colorado laundromat total $18,000 in damages, cost passed on to customers

Thieves have made off with a few bucks, but it's costing a Jefferson County business owner much more to recover and keep his operation open. The crooks have targeted Grime Busters Coin Op Laundry several times the past 10 months. 

The owner of the locally-owned laundromat says the cost is being passed down to customers now.

"It impacts everybody because this machine that's $4.25, without thieves, it'd be $4, you know what I mean? So we all pay for it," said Cismaru.

Jay Cismaru got the call last Thursday evening that someone stole from his business once again.

The suspect had walked in during business hours and threw a load of laundry into one of the machines. He then walked to the back of the store, broke into the coin machine in the back, and stole $800 in coins.

"The safe was wide open, and all the coins had been dumped out. There were coins all over the floor," said Cismaru.

It's not the first and not the second time, but it's the third time the laundry mat has been targeted in recent months. Ten months ago, someone broke into the business overnight and stole two coin machines.

Cismaru said the thieves got $500 to $1,000 in coins, but the real damage was replacing the coin machines which cost about $7,000 each.

He rebuilt the area where the coin machines are to make them even more secure. Then another hit happened overnight in September. Two people took a hammer and prybar to two coin machines, costing $1,000 in damages.

Cismaru said in total, the thefts have added up to about $18,000 in damages. He added that it's been frustrating because many of the repairs have come out of pocket.

"When it's a big crime, your insurance helps out, but when it's nickel and dime crime, there's really no help from the insurance," said Cismaru.

Cismaru said being in business for 30 years, he's never faced thefts like this. But since they've happened, he's replaced locks on the doors and is taking extra measures in hopes he's not a target again. That includes adding more cameras to prevent thefts from happening in the future.

"Every time they do something, I figured out a better way to secure whatever the problem was. I feel like I'm as secure as I can get now," said Cismaru.