TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — Vape Excapes in Temple is recovering after it suffers three break ins in the span of 30 days.
- Around $10,000 of goods was stolen from the shop
- New windows had to be installed and the owners are ramping up security measures by installing reinforced glass, having more cameras and motion sensors; they are also considering adding bars to the windows.
- A teenage male was arrested for the most recent robbery in November, however, the first two robberies are still under investigation.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"Every single one of them have been overnight so far,” said Matthew Lastovica, the manager of the shop.
Surveillance footage shows the moments three suspects take off running with goods after an alarm goes off at Vape Excapes in Temple.
This is the first of many robberies in a string of break-ins.
A pretty shocking sight for Lastovica and the owners of the vape shop.
"It’s been pretty tough but we’re pretty resilient and bouncing back by getting product back on the shelves and our customers have been amazing as well.”
The decade-old mom and pop shop was robbed not just once on Oct. 30 but again the next day, then a third time in late November.
"Over the past 10 years, it’s been relatively quiet over here but over the past year, I guess it’s because of new housing developments and there’s more people moving over here,” said Lastovica.
Those robberies took around $10,000 worth of goods off the shelves.
It’s left Lastovica questioning why, since this shop has been open for more than a decade and was never robbed before.
"It’s been ramping up, I guess there’s more people getting more desperate,” Lastovica said.
A spokesperson with the Temple Police Department told 25 News' Marc Monroy a teenager was arrested for the latest robbery in November.
As of now, the first two robberies in October are still under investigation with the suspects still on the loose, but the owners believe it was teenagers as well.
