Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
(TNS)
Two determined suspects tunneled through the wall of a flea market and went on a criminal shopping spree that included jewelry, designer purses — and the cash register, according to Florida investigators.
It happened just before 6 a.m. Aug. 5, at Supreme Bargains in Winter Haven, about a 50-mile drive east from Tampa.
Video shared on Facebook by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office shows one of the suspects looked directly into a surveillance camera before deciding to cover his face with what appeared to be a T-shirt.
His accomplice’s disguise was only slightly better: A hoodie and a mouth-held flashlight.
“The two suspects … entered the store by tunneling through the wall of an adjoining business,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
“They filled some bags with jewelry, designer purses, and the cash register, then fled on a bicycle and a U-Haul pulling a trailer.”
The store, located in a strip mall, hosts booths where vendors sell goods ranging from furniture to clothing.
Investigators did not offer a tally for the value of the stolen goods. The sheriff’s office, which asked for help identifying the suspects, did not announce any arrests as of the afternoon of Aug. 12.
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