Early yesterday morning brought unanticipated hardship to local businesses along Frederick Road in Catonsville, as a series of break-ins swept through the commercial area. Baltimore County Police were alerted to the burglaries around 5:40 am, following a triggered alarm at one of the stores. Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple businesses had been targeted, with evidence of forced entry and missing property, WMAR2-News reported.
Among the seven establishments, the police confirmed that businesses like Franco's and Write-On! had been affected. Lou Weinkam, owner of Franco's, told WBAL-TV, "We received the call early this morning that Franco's was broken into," and explained how assailants had grabbed two cash registers despite there being no cash inside. Nearby, the front door of Write-On! was also reported kicked in, and their cash register was stolen. The crime spree has deeply impacted the local business owners, who expressed shock and hurt at the violation.
Despite the break-ins, a spirit of resilience was observable, as some of the victimized businesses, including Franco's and El Guapo, opened on Sunday. Weinkam shared a sense of gratitude for the community's outpouring of support, "I feel very lucky and very blessed about that, that we have that. And we truly appreciate everybody and so we’re going to take that as a positive," as quoted by WMAR-2 News. Customers like Raymond Short emphasized the tight-knit nature of the community, saying, "When something goes wrong, we look out for each other."
As the investigation continues, authorities are actively searching for several suspects and have called for community assistance. Baltimore County Police are requesting anyone with information or surveillance footage to come forward and help in the investigation by calling 410-887-4636, hopeful that witness accounts could prove crucial in apprehending those responsible.
