Englewood Break-Ins Continue: 'They're Just Getting Away With It'

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - The seemingly never-ending streak of break-ins on South Broadway continues. CBS4's Tom Mustin has been talking to store owners for months about the problem. Some have found a solution while others are still struggling.

"I kind of got a weird feeling," said Dave Prezant, describing the brazen car theft at his dealership nine days ago -- one of a rising number of crimes along a two-mile stretch of Broadway in Englewood.

CBS4's Tom Mustin interviews Springs Automotive owner Dave Prezant (credit: CBS)

"I turned around, he slammed the door, jumped off the curb and was gone," Prezant told Mustin.

Prezant owns Springs Automotive at Broadway and Stanford. He says a man asked to see a Chevy. Prezant put the keys in the ignition. As he walked to the passenger side, the man gunned the engine, and then drove away.

"He drove out and I suppose he could have hit me. I was two or three feet away," Prezant said.

(credit: CBS)

Last year dozens of burglaries were reported in the same area. Surveillance video from last year caught a crook stealing thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise from the Community Service Apparel Store. Store owner Brian Cappel told Mustin he immediately beefed up security cameras and reinforced the windows to the shop. He sympathizes with his fellow shop owners.

CBS4's Tom Mustin interviews Community Service Apparel store owner Brian Cappel (credit: CBS)

"It's extremely frustrating to know that they're just getting away with it," Cappel said.

Englewood police don't have any leads or hard numbers for the recent crime surge, but the website Raidsonline.com shows dozens of commercial burglaries, robberies and thefts in Englewood in the past 30 days. In many cases the crooks cut power to the building before the robbery.

Burglaries in Englewood in the past 30 days (credit: raidsonline.com)

"What police are telling us is they're trying to test what our systems are, how it affects the alarms," said Prezant.

Boost Mobile owner Jesse Notz spent $1,000 repairing his door after thieves tried to break in to his shop. He says most of the crooks go straight to the cash register, and only escape with a handful of change. He has a message for the elusive bandits.

CBS4's Tom Mustin interviews Boost Mobile owner Jesse Notz (credit: CBS)

"Go get a job. Go do something productive with your life," Notz said.

The suspect in the Springs Automotive crime is described a heavy set Hispanic man with several visible tattoos.

A few months ago Englewood police arrested a man after a string of smash-and-grab crimes along Broadway. They're asking for the public's help to find the criminals in the latest batch of crimes.

Additional Information From The Englewood Police Department

If you have information on these crimes, please contact the Englewood Police Department at (303) 761-7410.

Tom Mustin is CBS4's Weekend Anchor. He has been with CBS4 since 2002, and is always looking for great story ideas. Connect with Tom on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @TomCBS4.