ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) — For the second time in three months, a camera and computer store in Anaheim was robbed by thieves, despite increased security measures around the store.
It happened early Monday morning at Mac Star Computers on South Brookhurst Street.
“When the back door opened, we got the notification and it all started with us trying to get here as quickly as possible,” Melissa Delgado said.
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The masked burglars may have thought they would get away with expensive headphones, drones or camera equipment, but Mac Star Computers has been broken into so many times that the expensive goods are now stored in huge, heavy safes bolted to the floor.
“They were out within six minutes,” Delgado said. “They didn’t steal much because we have a lot of empty boxes on the shelves. Mostly they just caused a lot of damage to the store.”
The thieves entered through the back door. This may seem inconspicuous and provide an easy entry point, but from the other side it would be like breaking into a bank vault.
“We had a scissor gate, bars and a steel door, and they could still get through, so we double-secured everything,” Delgado said.
Last spring, thieves gained access to their other business in Corona by using a car as a battering ram.
It is unclear whether the same suspects are behind both incidents. No arrests were made in either case.
The owners are fed up with how little has changed in the year and a half between the crimes.
On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a “groundbreaking law” that provides tougher penalties for property theft and higher sentences for large-scale operations.
“This is an issue that is front and center in the minds of so many Californians,” Newsom said. “You see it online, you see it on social media, you see it on the nightly news. This is getting to the heart of the problem, and getting to the heart of the problem in a thoughtful and common sense way.”
The owners of Mac Star Computers are hoping for any help they can get from the police, prosecutors or politicians. They know that if they don’t get help, it’s only a matter of time before the next break-in occurs.
“It’s very frustrating to have to come here in the middle of the night and hope they find someone,” Delgado said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police.
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