How police caught "bicycle burglars" targeting Philadelphia area businesses
LOWER MORELAND TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- Police now have a pair of alleged serial thieves they call "the bicycle burglars" behind bars.
The duo is accused of a six-week-long burglary spree that targeted mom and pop businesses from Montgomery County to Philadelphia. Police also say they got away on bicycles.
Exclusive security video obtained by CBS News Philadelphia shows a suspect using a screwdriver to shatter a glass door at Mr. Wish in Philadelphia's Olney section. He then parks his bike and pushes his way inside.
In just seconds, he grabs a register drawer with cash and takes off.
"They were just waiting for me to leave," Ryan Glunz, the Be Well Bakery and Cafe Owner, said.
Glunz's cafe is located in Lower Moreland Township, Montgomery County. He says he locked up his businesses late one night when security video shows the same so-called bicycle burglars. They break in and quickly take off with about $800 in cash.
"To see our community a little less safe, it's a little scary," Glunz said.
It led to officers in Lower Moreland to launch a joint investigation with Philadelphia police after multiple burglaries and discovering a striking similarity.
"They would use bicycles to commit burglaries all over," Det. Holly Halota, of the Lower Moreland Township Police Department, said.
Police also say each of the brazen burglaries happened during the late evening or early morning hours from October through November. One of the suspects wore the same outfit in different burglaries.
In all, detectives linked the two suspected thieves with about two dozen burglaries that police say targeted mostly mom and pop style businesses.
"When you put them all together, you can see the same walk in the same M.O., the same bikes, the same clothing. They're doing everything the same," Halota said.
Police say in one instance, the alleged bicycle burglars broke into Circle Cycle, a bike store in Lower Moreland, where one of the suspects left his bike and stole a new bike worth $1400, and $400 in cash was also stolen.
"We put our blood and our sweat into this place and somebody comes in and takes away from us what is not easy for us to make," Ana Garushyants, of Circle Cycle Bike Shop, said.
But police tracked down the bicycle burglars after suspect Asher Aziz was caught in the act at Shanks Steaks in Philly.
Officers also found two bicycles outside seen in other burglaries. Tony Kimhong was later identified in part because of a tear drop tattoo on his face was seen in some security videos.
"Really grateful for the police, grateful to have them in the community helping out," Glunz said.
Police say both suspects are now locked up in the Montgomery County jail facing burglary and other charges.
