GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Kent County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) reported two overnight break-ins at smoke shops located a couple hundred feet away from each other along Kalamazoo Avenue in Gaines Township. One suspect, 17, was arrested. At least one other is still on the loose.
The KCSO said these instances highlight a growing trend in our area. Employees at both victim businesses agreed this is nothing new.
“It is definitely frustrating," said Dylan Cudney, a district manager for Joost Vapor.
Security footage, shared with FOX 17 by neighboring Jet's Pizza, would be shocking to most. However, it came as no surprise to Cudney when he watched it back Monday afternoon.
“Yeah, I got the call in the morning," he said. "I was like, 'Okay, here we go, again.'”
The tapes give a timeline of what happened overnight at the Joost Vapor location on Kalamazoo Avenue.
Two suspects walk into the frame just after 2 a.m. One appears to be on the lookout while the other tries to pry the door open.
After nearly seven minutes, the two suspects seemingly give up and leave the frame. Moments later, law enforcement arrives.
Sgt. Eric Brunner with KCSO said, "Our deputies are well aware that we've seen this increasing trend, especially since the summer, of tobacco and vape shops being targeted.”
The KCSO said Joost Vapor was not the only victim overnight.
Just a few hundred feet away, Brunner said the same suspects allegedly tried, and failed, a back-door break-in at The Tobacco Shoppe.
After a short chase, one suspect got away. The other, a 17-year-old, was arrested.
READ MORE: 17-year-old in custody following break-in at Gaines Twp. tobacco shop
"The reason and cause behind all that? Sure, there's a lot of factors in that," Brunner said. "We all ask ourselves the questions — they're 17; if they're in school, what are they doing at two in the morning? On a Monday?"
Brunner said the KCSO has investigated more than 12 successful instances of targeted break-ins at these kinds of businesses since the start of July. The KCSO only investigated nine total from January through June.
Keep in mind both attempted break-ins in this latest incident were unsuccessful, so those aren't even counted in the aforementioned data.
Still, the trend is there. Employees at both Joost Vapor and The Tobacco Shoppe agree.
In fact, someone who declined to go on camera at The Tobacco Shoppe told FOX 17 there have been successful break-ins at three other locations in the last week alone. They've had to install giant metal bars by the entrance to keep people from crashing through the glass to enter the store.
Meantime, Cudney can recall at least seven similar examples at Joost Vapor stores he oversees in a little more than a year.
“I've got ... like, two, or else, three detective cards in my wallet right now, just from the past times for sure," Cudney said.
This has left law enforcement searching for a solution.
"Communities keep communities safe," Brunner said. "So, we need that support from our community for the families of these teens."
At the same time, Cudney, and others like him, have a simple request.
“Stop. Stop doing it. It’s a hassle. Stop," he said.
At last check, the arrested 17-year-old was lodged at the Kent County Juvenile Detention Center. Deputies have yet to track down the other suspect. Investigators told FOX 17 there could be more than just those two.
If you have any information that could help with the investigation, please call the KCSO at 616-632-6125, or call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345 to report information safely and anonymously.
