Police in Newington are investigating after a smash-and-grab burglary at a business on the Berlin Turnpike.
The thieves used an SUV to break into New England Audio and Tinting, backing the vehicle up to the window to shatter it, and then walked inside and stole equipment.
“They knew how to angle their vehicle. They were here to get the products and get out," said Miriam Gonzalez, whose husband owns the shop. “They rammed their vehicle into the window, hopped right out, came right through this damage here and took amp kits, amplifiers, subwoofers. All of those products that go into audio systems."
Surveillance video captured the thieves taking items out of the store one by one, and packing them into the SUV. One person was wearing a reflective vest, and the other was wearing dark clothing.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
“They were loading up, loading up as much as they could into their vehicle, and, I mean, one of them was even hanging off the door as they sped away. That’s how much product they took," Gonzalez said.
In their 15 years in business, she said they've never experienced anything like this. She estimates thousands of dollars worth of equipment was stolen.
“We just gotta work now to see what we’re supposed to do. We’re just trying to make ends meet now, it’s a struggle," she said.
Local
Gonzalez said they recently had to close their Manchester location, and now have to deal with this major loss of product. She estimates 90% of the items on display were swiped.
“The public is not buying as much as they used to so we’re stuck with a lot of the inventory and trying to get things off the shelf," she said. "It’s a big hit, it really is, because at the end of the day, products can be replaced but peace of mind can never be replaced.”
She hopes other small business owners will see what happened at their store and secure their own.
“It’s a struggle right now to maintain a small business, so now this is even more of a problem for us," she said. "My hope is that other small businesses open their eyes to this, take care of your small business, it’s your bread and butter for many of us. Just be on alert.”
If you have any information on this incident, you're urged to contact Newington police.
