A series of overnight smash and grabs in two towns have police scrambling to find the people responsible.
It appears the same crooks hit three convenience stores in about 90 minutes, according to police. The thieves hit the Valero Quick Mart on West Street in Southington around 2 a.m., bashing in a glass window and taking off with the lotto cash drawer and some cigarettes.
From there, the thieves broke into the Quick Stop Mart on South Main Street. The owner of the store found the rock that was used to shatter his glass window. He says the suspects got away with nearly every case of cigarettes he had and his lotto cash drawer as well.
“The glass was broken and the big stone was just sitting there, Uress Patel said. "Then we went inside to assess the damage and see what kind of money they took from me."
Patel says it is not the first time his shopping plaza has been hit. He says the liquor store next door was robbed about two weeks ago and he was robbed three years ago. He installed a gate on the back door after the first robbery and now plans to do the same at the front door. The new protection will cost him about $8,000.
“We work hard all day long to make money. I have bills to pay and we work from 6 a.m to 9 p.m. Then someone robs me just like that,” Patel said.
From Southington, police believe the crooks went to Meriden and robbed the BP gas station at the intersection of Chamberlain Highway and West Main Street around 3:30 a.m. The window was again smashed in and the cash drawer missing.
The theives were caught on surveillance camera at the Meriden location. Police are now looking at the video in hopes of making an arrest.
Anyone with any information is asked to call police.
