CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A masked thief smashed a display case and jumped a counter at Walk-In and Fix It, a phone repair shop in the Chattanooga Shopping Plaza in Chesterfield, making off with more than $40,000 in electronics.
The May 8 break-in is at least the second time thieves have targeted the business in recent months, according to owner Cafer Timucin. He learned of the early morning burglary through his alarm system.
Timucin said the thief seen in surveillance video — along with a female companion — may have visited the store before the break-in, possibly casing it.
"This is my property, right, and those all belong to me, my belongings. But I did trust them, as a human being, as a couple, and I left my store with my product because, as I said, we are part of each other, we are part of a community. And I trusted them, just stepped back to my restroom, in my store, in my property, and they took my devices," Timucin said.
Timucin said the thief knew exactly which glass display case to target. Replacing the shattered window alone could take anywhere from 10 business days to three months, according to quotes he has received. The financial loss from stolen electronics exceeds $40,000.
The repeated break-ins have taken a personal toll on Timucin, who said he has been sleeping on a hard bench inside his store as part of his new security measures.
"I like to serve people in the right way, how it's supposed to be, with quality and warranty. This took me a lot of time to build to build this business and to serve my people," Timucin said. "Unfortunately, after this break in happened, I feel so off and heartbroken."
Timucin said he simply wants to return to running his business without suspecting customers of planning another theft.
"We all have a right to live on the Earth and we all have a right to work hard to build our life, and I did work really hard to build this business, not for someone to come and break in and destroy everything in five minutes," Timucin said.
No arrests have been made. Anyone who recognizes the man in the surveillance video is asked to call Crime Solvers at 748-0660 or submit a tip using the P3 app.
Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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