Burglars break into Cape store
A Cape Coral jewelry store was broken into over the weekend and burglarized of more than $9,000 worth of items, according to a police report.
Officers responded to a report of a burglary Sunday morning, Feb. 12, in the 2300 block of Santa Barbara Boulevard. The owner of the business reported that he tried checking on the store from home with special security equipment.
When the man got an error message following several attempts, he and his wife drove to the store to make sure the store was OK. The man immediately observed that all of the inside lights were off when he had left the lights on.
The man told police that he then tried to enter through the front door using his key, but the locking mechanism fell out of the device. Looking through the windows, he noted that all the lights were broken and debris was on the floor.
The couple immediately contacted the police about a possible burglary.
Once inside, officers found damage to the security system, as well as to a large safe that holds the high item merchandise. On one side of the safe, the outer plate was removed, concrete was busted out and steel bars were cut.
A power saw was possibly used on the safe, according to the report.
The missing items include 55 Bulova watches, a Seiko clock, silver bracelet, gold-plated ring and HP laptop computer. The loss is estimated at $9,200.
The owner listed the damage to the store at about $17,250.
Anyone with information can contact the Cape Coral Police Department at 574-3223, or submit a tip by texting “CCPD” plus the message to CRIMES or by visiting: www.capecops.com. Tipsters can also contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at (800) 780-TIPS (8477) and be eligible for a cash reward.