A Cleveland business owner hopes surveillance video of a man trying to steal one of his point-of-sale systems will lead to an arrest, ending a string of recent business break-ins on Cleveland’s west side.
The latest happened Wednesday morning around 5:00 a.m. at the Astoria Market and Cafe at 5417 Detroit Ave. Video showed a man placing an orange construction barrel in front of the store’s glass front door before taking a brick and smashing the glass.
Then, the man can be seen crawling inside and wandering around for several minutes before realizing the POS system he tried to steal is tethered down.
Owner Steve Daniels said it’s his first break in since opening in 2013.
“This whole building is lit up with cameras,” Daniels said.
“We believe in the neighborhood. Most of the people are great people,” adding, “If people are trying to do harm to us, we’re going to get you.”
It’s the fifth in a string of POS-related crimes. News 5 was first to report about a break-in at the Cleveland Bagel Company last week. Someone broke the window the night of that Cavs game 3 loss in the NBA Finals. Then, someone else wandered into the store and stole the iPad used to take orders.
The owner, who was once featured on the LeBron James reality show “Cleveland Hustles,” joked on Facebook that The Golden State Warriors must have done it.
“Hey, can we say this is Kevin Durant and maybe get him arrested?” Geoff Hardman joked to News 5’s Joe Pagonakis.
Then, the crooks headed to Lorain Avenue, where three more businesses between W. 39th and W. 44th had their windows smashed with bricks, including the LadyLuck’s Hair Parlor, Jack Flaps, and the Herb’n Twine Sandwich Company.
"They’re just getting used iPads. I don’t know what that could be really worth street value,” Herb’n Twine owner Brendan Messina said.
All of the victims are fairly new, small businesses, part of an evolution of the city’s west side. Messina’s been in business for just less than two years and said he’s not giving up on his gentrifying, but still gritty Cleveland neighborhood.
“We work hard,” he said. "We’re here 10, 12 hours a day, so just trying to make a living off this.”
Ward Three City Councilman Kerry McCormack said police are now increasing patrols along Detroit and Lorain Avenues.
Anyone with information can call the Cuyahoga County Crime Stoppers at (216) 252-7463.
