Posted: August 16, 2012
Update: Bensalem police say they believe the smoking bandit has a cut in the center of his back that is now bandaged.They believe he was cut during one of the burglaries. He also may be driving a black SUV, possibly a Toyota 4Runner.
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| Surveillance still of smoking bandit suspect |
The smoking bandit appears to be expanding his tobacco territory but not his criminal methods, according to Lower Southampton police.
They believe the same man responsible for two similar cigarette burglaries in Bensalem last week and others in Philadelphia hit the Trevose Beer Store in the 500 block of Andrews Road in the township early Saturday morning.
A Lower Southampton police officer, responding to an alarm, arrived at the store – which is 2.5 miles from the burglar’s last target — and found a broken cinder block on the sidewalk near the door. The bottom portion of the store’s front glass door was shattered.
Inside the store, the officer found “assorted packs and cartons” of brand-name cigarettes missing; the owner later confirmed that 10 cartons of cigarettes (at $60 a pop) and about 60 loose packs of cigarettes ($6 a pop) were stolen for a total of $960, according to police.
This time, though, someone saw something, police said.
A witness was leaving the Planet Fitness health club in the shopping center about 1:15 a.m. when he heard an alarm near the beer store. When he looked over, he saw a dark-colored SUV quickly drive away from the store, U-turn in the parking lot then leave, turning left onto Brownsville Road.
The SUV description matches one at the scene of several other burglaries in the area. That isn’t the only thing that matches.
The hour the burglar strikes (early morning), his choice of tools (a cinder block chunk), targets (a beer store), his method of entry (breaking the bottom pane on glass doors) and his main bounty (brand-name cigarettes) hasn’t changed.
Bensalem police believe the same man stole $4,500 worth of cigarettes and a six-pack of Miller Light from a local beer store Aug. 6 stuffing the items into a black plastic trash bag. Three days later, he hit the CVS pharmacy in the 3800 block of Neshaminy Boulevard.
In the second burglary, the suspect stole more cartons of cigarettes as well as Kodak digital cameras and pay-as-you-go cell phones — stuffing them into a clear plastic trash bag, which he keeps in the back pocket of his pants.
Bensalem police released surveillance video and still photos of the suspect in its crimes. They describe the man as white, in his 20s or 30s, with short brown hair. He has a distinct-looking birthmark on the right side of his lower back and likely has a tattoo on his back.
Lower Southampton police released a still picture of its suspect which was taken by surveillance equipment on the exterior of the building.
The photo shows a clean-shaved, white, young man with short brown hair walking in the shopping center about 1:06 a.m. wearing a beige T-shirt with writing on the front.
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