Polk County sheriff’s deputies are on the hunt for five bandits who are targeting businesses along I-4.
The sheriff’s office posted several surveillance videos on line of the crooks in action.
On Sunday night, they hit a nail salon and a barber shop on Lake Wilson Road in Davenport, not far from the Disney property. Then, about an hour later, they broke into Xtreme Wireless on Kathleen Road north of Lakeland.
Brandon Ragsdale owns the store and had multiple cameras capturing the crooks every move.
“They literally hit here twice and it shattered everything, and they flew in from here,” said Ragsdale, pointing at the boarded-up front door of his business. “And they were just grabbing stuff, tearing stuff off. I had the Ipad here, had theft protection and he just tore it off and just didn’t care. “
Ragsdale believes he was lucky. He has a number of friends who run similar businesses and he has learned from their mistakes. “Luckily, I learned from some of my friends who have stores and they got broken into,” said Ragsdale. “Some of their high-end stuff got taken. Now I put all of my stuff in a safe in the back and everything is locked up. “
In the surveillance video released by the sheriff’s office, the men appear to be wearing similar clothing with hoodies to cover their faces. Investigators say a camera at a neighboring business captured the men leaving in a dark gray or black sedan, possibly a Toyota Corolla or Nissan Altima.
Ragsdale says he spent hours cleaning up his store so he could open up on time. He’s been humbled by how supportive his customers have been. “Honestly, we’ve had a really good day, still,” said Ragsdale. “Customers still coming in, they’re positive, helping us. Even asking if they can help us clean up and everything “
Anyone with information about these crimes is urged to contact PCSO at 863-298-6200 or you can call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477) to remain anonymous and be eligible to receive a cash reward., or visit www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com
