Smash-and-Grab Robbery Spree Spreads to 8 Towns

Overnight, robbers struck in eight towns, breaking into closed service stations, liquor stores and convenience stores for cigarettes and money.

All of the stores are along Interstate 84, from Hartford to Cheshire, and were closed when the robberies happened.

While police cannot say for sure that all the robberies are related, it is possible, and they are looking for a maroon Buick sedan with a chrome rack on the back. 

The robberies happened at in West Hartford, Harford, Farmington, New Britain, BristolPlainville, Cheshire and Southington, police said.

Kar Kraft Shell gas station, at 342 Colt Highway, in Farmington, was robbed at 2 a.m. on Friday. The front glass door was smashed and the rear office door had been pried open. About $1,000 worth of cigarettes are missing.    

Gary Agarwan spent Friday morning cleaning up in Gary's Food Mart at New Park and Flatbush avenues in West Hartford after robbers broke the front glass and used a crowbar to steal $3,400 worth cigarettes and $4,500 in cash. 

The people who broke in threw the register to the ground and damaged the lottery terminal.

Surveillance video from Oakwood Package Store, on Oakwood Avenue in West Hartford, shows burglars jumping over the counter and stealing items.

In Hartford, 888 New Britain Ave. was robbed overnight. This is at least the fifth smash-and-grab robbery in the city in the last couple days.

In New Britain, 1079 West Main St. was robbed on Thursday night. The address is listed as an Exxon station.

In Bristol, 36 East Main St. was robbed overnight. The address shows up as a gas station.

Someone also tried to break into the Sunoco on New Britain Avenue, in Plainville, but bars kept them from getting in.

"My brother-in-law called me at 3:30 this morning and said that's what happened. Don't get panicked when you open the door," Davinder Kaur said.

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