Police are searching for four suspects who smashed their way into a high-end streetwear shop early Sunday and stole more than $40,000 in merchandise during a quick, coordinated burglary.
Smash-and-grab caught on video
Security footage shows two masked individuals using hammers to break through the front door of Kicked Up Miami around 4:27 a.m. on Sept. 14. Two others waited nearby in a truck to help load stolen goods.
“I saw it live when they first started trying to get in,” said store owner Axel Rosario. “I randomly woke up at 4:25 a.m., and as I tried to fall back asleep my phone alarm went off. When I checked my cameras, I saw people hammering the door.”
Owner arrives too late
By the time Rosario reached his shop, racks of merchandise had already been cleared out.
“They took a lot of the stuff on this rack—the entire first half of it. Basically, they just grabbed as much as they could and ran out,” he explained. Rosario estimated the entire heist lasted just three minutes.
The thieves also took the store’s cash register, which Rosario said contained money set aside for his mother’s cancer treatment.
“My heart dropped. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “That money was for my mom’s medication and her stage four cancer treatments.”
Eyewear store targeted minutes earlier
Just before the break-in at Kicked Up Miami, the same suspects attempted to hit Vision World, a nearby eyewear shop. Owner Lourdes Arencibia said extra security kept them from getting inside.
“They tried to break a window where I had the most expensive brand-name sunglasses,” she said. “But I had extra protection.”
Fear for small businesses
Both store owners worry the suspects will continue targeting independent shops in the area.
“This is the definition of a mom-and-pop shop, and it took three years to get to where we are now,” Rosario said.
Investigation ongoing
West Miami police confirmed the burglary and shared the incident report with CBS News Miami. Officials declined further comment, citing the active investigation.
Anyone with information about the suspects or similar crimes is urged to contact West Miami Police.
