In an early morning break-in last Friday, a thief was caught on surveillance video forcefully entering two Wilton Manors businesses, stealing nearly $8,000 worth of pre-rolls. The individual first broke into an art gallery, utilizing a tool found within to subsequently smash his way into the adjacent smoke shop, Drag on the Drive, according to WSVN.
The surveillance footage reveals the thief was selective, targeting only the highest-end pre-rolls in the smoke shop. "He had obviously been here before because he knew exactly where to go," Candice Rossi, a representative for the shop, told Local 10. Rossi described the man as efficiently filling his backpack with the product, opting to leave behind lesser-valued items.
The targeted pre-rolls contain a legal level of THC and can fetch prices up to $50 each, adding up to the sum stolen amount. The loss of such inventory is a significant hit to small businesses which depend on their sales, particularly "right now we're not in season so it really is a detriment to us," Rossi explained in her interview with WSVN.
Despite the theft, Rossi expressed a compassionate outlook towards the perpetrator, "I don’t hold a grudge against him but, you know, I hope that he cleans up his life and he has a happy, long life," she said to WSVN. This sentiment is echoed in another statement Rossi provided to Local 10, advising the young man to "Get a job," and warning this path will not aid him in achieving a desirable end-of-life situation.
The thief is described by Wilton Manors police as a young man, possibly white or Latin, with brown hair and seen wearing dark pants along with a white and black Nike jacket. He carried a distinct black and neon green backpack. Authorities are actively seeking information on this crime. Anyone with information can call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS and may be eligible for a monetary reward. Encouraging community action, both outlets underline the opportunity to report anonymously.
