It took less than three minutes for a crew of four to ransack a Wakefield bodega in the middle of the night, smashing through the front door and hauling off the cash register before disappearing into the dark.
Surveillance video shows the group walking up to the shop just after 2 a.m. Store owner Maged Abdulkarim says they broke the glass door, then yanked out the register and helped themselves to merchandise. He estimates roughly $7,000 in cash and goods vanished in those few minutes, a hit he worries could take months for his small business to absorb.
As reported by News 12 Bronx, three of the suspects slipped inside while a fourth stayed at the door as lookout. When attempts to pick the lock went nowhere, one of them shattered the front entrance. The crew then grabbed headphones, tobacco products and speakers before fleeing.
Smash-and-Grabs Rattle Bronx Bodegas
This Wakefield hit is part of a quick, unsettling pattern. Corner stores across the Bronx have been getting hit in a flurry of overnight burglaries this week, with at least two bodegas struck within 24 hours and suspects reportedly walking away with close to $130,000, according to CBS New York. Owners say the speed and coordination of these jobs make them especially brutal for small shops that already operate on razor-thin margins.
Owner Scrambles To Stay Afloat As Cops Hunt Crew
Abdulkarim told News 12 Bronx that the smashed door and wiped-out inventory have left him scrambling to cover basic expenses, including payroll for his workers…