Thieves Break Into Businesses on Indy’s North Side
INDIANAPOLIS – IMPD is investigating a series of burglaries that hit multiple north side businesses early Friday morning.
Police say the break-ins happened around 3:45 a.m. in the 2700 block of Westlane Road. Three businesses were targeted: Cowboy’s Western Wear, El Rey Grocery Store, and Rosa’s All Day Cafe.
Sugey Rosas, whose mother owns Rosa’s All Day Cafe, said the damage was extensive.
“Inside, the register was taken apart and completely dismantled. At two other locations, the registers were found scattered across the floor. At the Cowboy location, they took the register because they weren’t able to open it.”
Rosas said she also spoke with the responding officer Friday. She said he told her the same person had been involved in a previous case, but no charges were filed in this incident due to a lack of evidence tied specifically to the burglary, even though surveillance footage showed the same suspect.
She also said the business had dealt with another break-in shortly after opening, about three months ago.
People in the area say the repeated crimes are frustrating. A woman who was walking after shopping nearby described the impact.
“Watching then build their businesses from the ground up and then looking at someone stealikng form tghem after all of thgeiur hard work iss heartbreaking,” she said.
Police say cash was taken from two of the businesses. Surveillance video shows two people wearing black masks inside Rosa’s during the break-in.
Another man said he found broken pieces of a cash register in an alley near the businesses and picked up a few dollars in loose change.
“If you look around that’s why everything is goiung up (prices) because businesses are beiubng broken into,” he said.
Workers in the Augusta Plaza area say this isn’t the first time it’s happened, and they feel frustrated that arrests don’t seem to lead to lasting change.
IMPD continues to investigate. Anyone with information can contact the IMPD Northwest District at 317-327-6600 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
