Thieves use car to rob cell phone store

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. (WSVN) -- North Miami Police are investigating a robbery at a cell phone store where the subjects used a car as a weapon.

Police said an unknown number of subjects used a stolen Nissan Maxima to back into the front of Wireless Toyz, located at 995 NE 135th Street, around 5 a.m. Tuesday. "Right now, we're trying to determine how many people were involved in this incident," said North Miami Police Commander Neil Cuevas. "It's apparent that they used the stolen car to break in and to take items from this location."

Ana Leonarde, who has been the owner of the store for three years, said thieves have broken in five times in the past year. "They usually smash the window, but only with rocks never with a car," said Carlos Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is the store's owner and he said in this case the the thieves caused somewhere between $20,000 and $25,000 in damage. "Yea, in furniture, equipment and cell phones," he said. "Cellphones, small thing and very expensive."

The car was lodged inside the store, leaving behind shattered windows and a big mess to clean up. "Whether they ran or got into a car that was waiting for them, that we don't know," Cuevas said.

The store remains open for business, though hurricane shutters now cover part of the broken window. Gonzalez said he would not bother with a message to the crooked people responsible for the break-in. "What can you say to those kind of people? There is no conscience in that kind of people," he said.

"Life goes on, and all you can do is clean up and continue trying to help the customers," said store employee, Edwardo Pierre-Louis. "Hopefully, the police do their job and catch whoever did what they did."

Police are currently reviewing surveillance video to see whether these crooks are behind any other crimes in the area.

A hurricane shutter now partially covers the window, where the thieves entered.

If you have any information on this robbery, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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