Burglars Hit Lodi Thrift Store
LODI, Calif. (CBS13) -- Three suspects are wanted in connection with the burglary of a thrift store that cost the non-profit organization more than $1,000.
One man broke open the front door of the Uptown Thrift store in downtown Lodi early Saturday morning and quickly went to the back of the store to let two other suspects in, surveillance video shows.
The first suspect eventually unplugged the security camera and bagged up the hard drive containing the security footage, but the suspects accidentally left it behind.
"They pulled the safe out, put it on my desk and beat it to death with screwdrivers and hammers until they were able to bear the front and lock off," said organizer Dan Randall.
The men were able to steal $1,200, which is what it costs for the non-profit organization Unity Project, a faith-based outreach program for the homeless, to run the shop each week.
"I cried. I literally cried," Randall said. "We're not trying to get rich; we're not trying to make a big profit here."
Randall said he may know who the suspects are and believes drugs drove them to commit the crime.
The store is making plans to upgrade their security system and prevent similar incidents.
