Police in two towns are investigating a series of smash-and-grab robberies early Friday morning.
Three suspects broke through the front door of the Express Mini Mart at 114 Main Street in East Hartford after midnight. A surveillance tape from the store showed the men in hooded gray sweatshirts steal the cash register with about $500 in it.
A short time later, burglars hit the Quik Mart at 592 Hebron Avenue in Glastonbury. The suspects stole cigarettes from that store.
It's the fourth time in four months that thieves have broken into the Quik Mart. The store's owner says it's getting to the point where he can't operate his business anymore because of all the repair costs he's been forced to pay out of pocket.
A third convenience store was targeted up the road in Glastonbury.
The Buckingham Shell at 2088 was the last of the stores to be robbed Friday.
After breaking into the store, the suspects carried out a heavy safe full of checks and more than $4,000.
Local
Police are investigating whether all three burglaries were committed by the same suspects. They are also looking into the possibility that Friday's crimes are related to a series of smash-and-grab robberies in the area over the past few months.
