ST. LOUIS – Burglars broke into three businesses in south St. Louis overnight. Some of the burglaries were caught on surveillance video.
This is the second time businesses have been targeted this week in the Central West End.
The owner of Steve’s Hot Dogs, Steve Ewing, was alerted at 3:18 a.m. Friday by his security camera. The front door was smashed in.
The three thieves, some in Halloween masks, are seen on the surveillance video walking up to the cash registers looking for cash, but they didn’t find any.
“They knew what they were doing. Obviously, they hit up some other businesses around here, so they’re looking for people that are caught off guard, looking for money,” Ewing said.
The latest victims in a string of smash-and-grabs in the city include Steve’s Hot Dogs, Sports Zone Bevo, and Exotic Bar and Grill.
According to the police, the Exotic Bar and Grill had broken glass and cash registers on the sidewalk, with the inside ransacked.
No owners or staff were at the restaurant for comment. Some customers showed up to help.
“I destroyed my dog and some more mac and cheese, so I always love Steve, and I’m glad to support him,” said Scott Criscione, a customer at Steve’s Hotdogs.
The businesses are now left to clean up, whether it’s boarding the doors or sweeping up the glass from the broken windows or doors.
“It’s just sad because all the employees here, especially the owner, work their butts off to make this place look the way it is. That’s time that you can’t get back,” said Marissa Kukic, bartender at Sports Zone Bevo. “Now it’s going about working 10 times harder to replace what was taken.”
At Sports Zone Bevo, surveillance footage from the owner showed three thieves again smashing windows with a cinder block, jumping over the bar, and looking for money.
Then they went downstairs, where they stole two safes filled with money. It unfolded just 10 minutes after Steve’s was hit.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that some burglaries are connected.
A spokesperson from the police department said in the following statement, “The department is also reviewing patrol plans and will consider adjusting the patrol hours of our district burglary squads to combat this issue.”
Police will continue to investigate the string of break-ins citywide.