Smoke shops targeted by thieves in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville overnight
Police in three different communities are investigating if three overnight break-ins in Boston, Somerville and Cambridge are connected.
Three masked thieves are seen on surveillance video busting into the City Smoke Shop in Boston's North End at 2:31 a.m. Tuesday. Moments before, they hurled a large brick into the glass door, shattering it to get in and steal.
"It's infuriating, you know what I mean?" said Waldy Nova with City Smoke Shop. "People work hard to establish a business to make sure we're doing right by the community around us and to have something like that happen is disheartening, it's heartbreaking."
Three stores hit overnight
Then 30 minutes later at 3:00 a.m., police said a strangely similar scene played out in Somerville.
Three masked guys wearing the same clothes as the Boston break in are caught on camera wielding a large brick to smash the window at D and K Smoke Shop. They snatched cash-vapes and cigarettes.
"It happened within one minute," said owner Kumraz Gurung. "Disappointment because it's a small business."
Then again, a third strike not too far away in Cambridge with the same MO at 3:40 a.m. Three masked thieves are seen on video bursting into the Cambridge Smoke Shop and stealing cash. They even toppled over a case full of product before taking off.
"It's $3500 around it will cost us," said Hitesh Prajabata at the Cambridge Smoke Shop.
The shop has already been hit three times since last January. "Don't do this thing because we are very small business and it affects us a lot," said Prajabata.
Police are now investigating if the three break-ins in the three different communities are connected.
"Get a job"
Business owners wonder if the thieves are after cash or product to resell, but they want the thieves to realize how much damage they leave behind.
"I mean get a job you know what I mean?" said Waldy Nova. "Work, there's so many people who are working for their livelihoods and for their families to have the American dream right."
No one has been arrested and if you recognize the suspects in any of the videos, please call Boston, Somerville or Cambridge police.
The break-ins are the latest in a string a burglaries targeting vape and smoke shops in the Greater Boston area. Last week, thieves were caught on camera breaking into a vape shop in Brighton.
