RICHMOND, Va. — The owner of an electronics and smartphone repair shop is frustrated after thieves broke into two of his stores — one in Carytown and one in Charlottesville — and stole a significant amount of inventory.
The latest heist, which happened Wednesday night at the Charlottesville Fruit Fixed repair shop on Bond Street, may be the most damaging to date.
Thieves smashed a window and stole a significant amount of inventory, including laptops, iPads, iPhones, and Samsung devices from display cases.
The break-in mirrors a similar incident that happened about 10 days earlier at the Carytown location on W. Cary Street. In that crime, a large rock was smashed through the store's front window.
“Window bashed in and they cleaned us out of a ton of inventory,” owner Justin Carroll said.
Despite having security glass installed and being located on a main road, the owner expressed surprise that the thieves were able to enter. In Richmond, an unexpected issue with the wireless network complicated matters during the break-in.
“They got inside with whatever issue we were having with the internet,” Carroll explained. “It's frustrating because when I first moved to Carytown, my deductible was $500; this newest one is $2,500. I expect now, if they'll even continue to insure us, it will go up even more.”
That theft marks the fourth incident in five years at the store known for its motto, "We can fix it."
Crime Insider sources said detectives have gathered some evidence from the scene, but said linking the two break-ins is believed to be premature.
Carroll voiced his frustration about the repeated incidents.
“I love this store," Carroll said. "Carytown has been great to me, my family and staff, but it is so frustrating because you want to be here, and it shouldn't be that difficult to be here.
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