Lauderhill police are actively searching for two suspects connected to a smoke shop burglary that occurred in the early morning hours last Tuesday. The break-in at the business, located at 5422 N. University Drive, was captured on surveillance, capturing the suspects forcefully entering the store.
Video footage, made public by the authorities, clearly shows the suspects outside the shop before one of them decisively smashes the glass door with an object. According to Local 10, the intrusion took place at around 1:54 a.m., with both individuals seen abruptly darting into the shop and quickly taking items off the shelves.
Reef Lakhani, the store owner, recounted the event to Local 10, stating, "They came in grabbed a lot of stuff," and pointed out an improvised detail taken by the thieves, "They had socks on their hands." The suspects were in and out within 30 seconds, fleeing with whatever items they could carry.
Diving deeper into the incident, the suspects have been described as two young black males by the released video footage. In a report by WSVN, both were wearing hoodies; one was dressed in a light blue hoodie with black sweatpants, while the other was clad in a black hoodie and black short pants with stripes. A store employee suspects the individuals may have previously visited the store to strategically scope it out. An estimated $1,000 to $1,500 worth of merchandise was reported stolen.
Detailing a specific appeal to the public, law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information to come forward. Those who recognized the suspects are encouraged to contact either the Lauderhill Police Department at 954-497-4700 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 (TIPS). Calls to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if the information provided leads to an arrest.
