Burglary crews hit El Paso smoke shops in string of thefts targeting CBD, vape items
El Paso smoke shops have had doors and windows smashed in a bold string of nighttime burglaries by groups of thieves who have snatched thousands of dollars in cannabis-related merchandise.
There have been at least three unsolved smash-and-grab burglaries of smoke shops since July, including a case last month featured as the Crime Stoppers of El Paso Crime of the Week.
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Crime Stoppers said that police investigators suspect that there could be links between some of the break-ins.
Burglary at the House of Hemp
Security camera video recorded as a crew of five burglars in hoods, face coverings and ski masks and wearing gloves shattered a glass front door before knocking down a metal security fence at 3:09 a.m. Sept. 11 at the House of Hemp at 12040 Tierra Este Road in the far East Side.
The four masked men and a woman then proceeded to smash display cases and empty shelves of pipes, vapes and CBD cookies and flowers, police said. CBD, or cannabidiol, is the active ingredient in cannabis derived from the hemp plant.
The thieves — who are suspected of being in their 20s — stole more than $1,100 in items while causing over $1,000 in damage, Crime Stoppers said.
Two men burglarized the Kurezone CBD Fitness and Wellness at 11457 Pellicano Drive between Lee Trevino and George Dieter drives in the East Side.
The burglars broke a window and stole several vape pens during the burglary shortly before 5 a.m. Aug. 20, Crime Stoppers reported. Security camera images released by Crime Stoppers shows one of the men wearing a hooded sweatshirt that appears to have the "Cobra Kai" logo from the TV series and "The Karate Kid" movies.
Other El Paso smoke shop burglaries
On July 1, three men burglarized the Green House Smoke Shop at 607 Giles Road near North Carolina Drive in the Lower Valley.
The masked burglars smashed the glass front door at 4:05 a.m., went inside and in two minutes stole more than $8,600 in merchandise, Crime Stoppers said. One burglar was filmed by black-and-white security video carrying a plastic container filled with items.
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The men left only to return at 4:25 a.m. to steal additional merchandise, police said. The burglars might have been in a white SUV similar to a Ford Explorer.
Anyone with information on the smoke shop burglaries and any other criminal activity may anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS) or leave a tip online at crimestoppersofelpaso.org. Tipsters could be eligible for a cash reward if a tip leads to an arrest.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso smoke shops hit in string of burglary crew thefts
