FLORISSANT, Mo. – The Florissant Police Department is looking for some bold smash-and-grab thieves who broke into multiple businesses overnight.
Investigators said everything happened in the span of a half-hour between 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. Monday.
The windows and doors are boarded up now, but it was a different story earlier this morning.
This whole episode began with a break-in at Brennan’s Bar and Grill on the 1700 block of Thunderbird Avenue near Lindbergh. After Brennan’s, the thieves went to a Subway in the 2500 block of North Lindbergh Boulevard.
Shortly after, they hit a Qdoba and Edible Arrangements at the Cross Keys Shopping Center in the 14000 block of New Halls Ferry. The thieves also targeted another Subway and a Papa John’s franchise in the 12700 block of New Halls Ferry.
The break-ins are alarming Florissant residents and business owners.
“Nowadays, people don’t want to work. Everybody wants to take from people, you know? But we can’t even find work half the time,” Kenny X, Renee’s Restaurant and Bar, said.
The Qdoba manager said nothing was taken from that business.
The owners of Edible Arrangements said the thieves stole some cash and merchandise. They said the entire incident was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras and the footage was turned over to investigators.
The owner of JC’s Jewelry and Repair Store, which is located in the same strip mall, said they were hit a few years ago.
“I was robbed at gunpoint—my store was—two years ago. And the police knew who it was and the next day they caught them both and they’re both in prison now.” Said JC Severs
The smash-and-grabs continued throughout the early morning hours.
“Florissant as a whole, they are thriving. But there’s a lot of bad apples out here and they congregate to this area, it seems like, after hours,” Severs said. “So, it’s not the first time the strip center has been, you know, robbed after dark and it won’t be the last.”
Florissant police are encouraging anyone with information to contact authorities.