DOVER, Del.- Cosmic Smoke owner Cameron Gilbert notes this is the fourth time his store has been targeted.
Early Thursday morning, investigators responded to reports of two attempted burglaries at separate vape stores, raising ongoing security worries for business owners.
Gilbert said each time, his front glass door has been shattered, with the culprit using a large rock or brick. Gilbert has since collected these items in the shop as evidence.
Surveillance footage from Cosmic Smoke captured the latest incident around 1:30 a.m. A masked individual on a bicycle can be seen, followed by the sound of the front door shattering.
"Month after month, the window keeps getting busted," Gilbert sighed, reflecting on the recurring attacks.
In response to previous incidents in November and February, Gilbert attempted to fortify his store by installing metal bars on the front windows. While these measures prevented theft this time, the financial toll remains significant.
"It's always an insurance battle," Gilbert remarked.
Around 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning, another shop, First State Vape, located nearby, reported a shattered glass window. Dover police arrested a 15-year-old suspect involved with this incident. However, authorities do not believe there is a connection between the two.
"That incident involved two juvenile males, while the other involved one male with a mask on," explained Dover Police Master Corporal Ryan Schmid.
Expressing uncertainty about how to proceed, Gilbert questioned why more cannot be done to prevent such continuous crime.
"It needs to stop," he emphasized. "Even when the suspects are caught they don't pay."
Schmid shed light on the potential motive behind such crimes, stating, "People will break in, steal products, and sell them to friends or on the street to make more money."
Schmid revealed that over the past decade, tobacco shops in Dover have been broken into at least once a month or more.
The 15-year-old suspect apprehended at First State Vape has been turned over to a guardian and is facing charges of attempted burglary, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest. Dover Police urge anyone with information to contact them.
