Thieves have been hitting vape shops in Massachusetts with a string of smash-and-grab burglaries, stirring concerns among shop owners and law enforcement officials about a potential trend. Criminals shattered the glass door of Vapor Zone in Saugus, swiping approximately $1,500 in goods including vape items, T-shirts, and causing further damage estimated around $2,000, as captured by surveillance footage and reported by NBC Boston.
The brazen burglary occurred around 6 a.m and was over in less than a minute, the store's owner Behram Agha described the assailants as chaotic and disorganized, they were caught on video yelling at each other as they looted, and his frustration was palpable "It just makes me mad – why is this happening why is the youth so disoriented and doing all of these things?” Agha told NBC Boston. A nearby store's video also showed a vehicle fleeing the scene, raising further questions about the events.
Meanwhile, Woburn, located just 10 miles away from Saugus, experienced similar crimes targeting vape shops. According to WCVB, an establishment had its windows smashed by a rock on Tuesday morning, the day after Christmas, and another attempted burglary occurred at a second Woburn vape shop on Thursday, however, the thieves failed to gain entry.
The incidents in Saugus and Woburn add to a worrying pattern, as Framingham police had already been investigating a break-in at another smoke shop immediately following Christmas, they also believe the culprits to be a team of juveniles who used a rock to shatter the shop's front window, a detail seemingly shared across the incidents indicating a method, or perhaps, a signature. "This time of year these types of targets definitely pick up for sure during the holiday season. But this is definitely something that has picked up in the past in the greater metro west area," Sean Riley, deputy chief of operations with Framingham Police Department, conveyed some context in his interview with NBC Boston.
Following the pattern, Agha suggested the thieves may be the same group, pointing to similarities in the footwear seen in the surveillance videos from the string of robberies. Woburn police are urging anyone with information about the vandalism and thefts to reach out, as the quest to apprehend the suspects gains urgency.
