Video shows thieves making off with tens of thousands in loot in Raleigh break-ins
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Raleigh police are hoping you can help them catch a thief they said has broken into three businesses five times in the past year.
Police have released these still pictures of the suspect and the car they believe he drives.
However, on Monday, ABC11 obtained surveillance video from the owners of one of the businesses that show two burglars breaking into his shop twice.
Adam Shahbain who operates the Tobacco Town and Vape shop on Poole Road at the Beltline says the burglars first broke in on June 20.
"Around four o'clock in the morning, I got a call from the alarm. They said somebody break in. That's the first time. You know when you get there somebody went in there and took all the cigarettes, cigars and all of that stuff that we had in there," Shahbain said adding, "They took almost 18 or 19 thousand dollars worth of cigarettes and cigars the first time. And the second time was the same thing."
He said the second time was August 10.
Raleigh police said the first crime in the spree happened on November 18, 2016, when a break-in was reported at the Exxon convenience store at 1200 New Bern Avenue.
Then on May 2, 2016, the thief struck again just around the corner at the Pizza Express and convenience store on Poole Road.
Shahbain said it appears from the surveillance video that the two thieves who broke into his store the first time were the same ones wearing the same clothing the second time.
He said they know what they are doing and are fast.
"All they took is maybe two minutes to do all that stuff and they were gone. By the time the police are there and by the time I got the phone call from the police they were all done," Shahbain said.
He hopes someone who knows the suspects will turn them in before they hurt more families.
Anyone with information that might assist the investigation of the incident is asked to call Raleigh CrimeStoppers at (919) 834-HELP or visit for text and email reporting options. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that help solve cases.
