TEMPLE — West Temple business owners are tired of break-ins. The west side of the city has seen around 27 burglaries of a business since the beginning of 2018, and several homes have also been hit.
The trend has forced store owners to make changes. After a crook made a failed attempt on the safe at a local Valvoline Instant Oil Change, employees told Channel 6 the business is upgrading security.
Next door the Quick Stop and Go gas station has alarms, cameras, and a chain on the door. Manager Rizwan Maredia told Channel 6 the chain has already been cut once, but the alarm scared the would-be thief away.
"They weren't able to get in but they cut the chain on the lock," Maredia said. "Cops showed up in a couple of minutes, next door got hit a week before that too."
Further down West Adams Avenue thieves successfully hit Small Cakes. On March 19th several individuals broke in and stole electronic devices, cash, and debit cards.
The thieves used those cards at several locations in Temple and Gatesville, but that's where owner Brandy Sandor got her first lead.
After the Gatesville Police Department was able to match video of individuals using those cards to the surveillance video at Small Cakes, Sandor's husband, Alan, put at $500 reward out on Facebook for information leading any arrests. Tips starting coming in immediately.
"Within two hours we had several messages on Facebook and private messages to my husband letting us know who these people are, where they work, where they live," Sandor said.
Those thieves have yet to be caught, so more tips are always welcome, and Sandor hopes other business owners will follow suit to discourage more break-ins.
