Group of young burglars wanted for targeting 2 vape shops in Woburn
WOBURN - Woburn Police are on the hunt for a group of teens caught on camera breaking into vape shops. They hit two over the last few days and may have struck in other towns.
"I noticed a large boulder in front of the door, and my door was smashed to bits," tells Mike Portelle, Owner of New Edge Smoke and Vape.
In surveillance video from December 28, you can see the teens attempting to get into Portelle's store in Woburn. The group repeatedly tries to throw the large rock through the front door. They were not able to get in, but they did cause an estimated $2,500 worth in damages.
"I had a specific type of glass put in, so they were not able to get through the three panes of glass," explains Portelle.
Woburn Police say they used the same tactics to get into another vape shop two days prior. They were able to get in there and steal merchandise and cash.
"Smoke shops don't have insurance. We find it extremely difficult to get insurance, so we're doing this out of pocket just days after Christmas," tells Portelle, "Just because we are a vape shop, and there's been a lot of bad press around us, the word still needs to be spread and vigilance tied to this area."
Portelle believes the same thieves may have attempted a break-in into a Framingham store as well. We are working to obtain video of the incident from Police, however Portelle says he has seen it.
"What I noticed is the kids that were at my front door are wearing the same sneakers, same jeans, same sweatshirts and jackets," adds Portelle.
