Kent County business owner speaks out after multiple robberies

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Investigators are looking for at least six suspects, and at least nine break-ins have been reported.

Kent County, Michigan — A search continues for a gang of thieves who caused thousands of dollars in damage to at least nine stores in Kent County early Friday morning.

Investigators are looking for at least six suspects who were captured on multiple corporate surveillance cameras during the night.

D. Schuler’s Fine Wines and Spirits in Wyoming, Tiny Giant in Kentwood, Marathon Gas Station in Kentwood, J and H Family Store in Grand Rapids, Noxx Cannabis in Grand Rapids, Wonderland Party Store in Walker, Family Fare in Byron Township Gas Station, Grand Rapids’ smoke shack were all robbed by thieves.

Kentwood’s unnamed business rounds out the list of stores that were robbed early Friday morning.

Surveillance video shared on 13 ON YOUR SIDE shows the suspect breaking glass and breaking into multiple businesses, stealing cash, liquor and tobacco products.

Kent County Sheriff’s Office investigators believe the incidents are likely related.

Marathon gas station manager Mohammed Atif said: “I’m so frustrated. I’m so angry right now.

Their security camera footage shows a black SUV parked around 3:45 am on Friday. The front door was broken with rocks and multiple people flew inside and jumped over the counter to the cash register and tobacco products.

“It’s $700 cash, $35 coins, and the rest is like e-cigarettes,” Ateef says.

This is the second break-in in the last month and he wants to see police and street surveillance cameras patrolling the area at night.

“I’m now trying to put the bar[on the glass]for my safety, my business, and myself. And I’ve watched cameras and everything I can, but[but]they still steal.” I’m here,” says Atif.

“I don’t think I’ve ever needed a camera before, but now it’s safer than sorry,” says Ning Singh, owner of Wonderland Party Store.

Walker’s liquor store was also broken into overnight for the first time. According to the owner, a car pulled up in what looked like a robbery at a gas station and some people broke in through the back door.

“This whole vape section has been emptied. They stole some patron bottles and some high-end bottles too, but it really messed up,” Singh says.

In Wyoming, $10,000 worth of product was stolen from D. Schuler’s Fine Wine and Spirits.

“I think it’s an awakening because it can happen to you too. I think it’s happening to a lot of people,” says owner Jane Vander Rahn.

In Grand Rapids, this was the Smoke Shack’s third robbery last year.

“It’s a very frustrating guy to be woken up in the middle of the night to come here and have to get in the window here until it’s almost 5am,” says owner Nael Saleh.

Someone appears to have driven through the front door of the Family Fair gas station on Clyde Park Avenue, and security cameras show the robbers rushing through Kentwood’s Tiny Giant Party store.

Glasses were smashed at the J&H Family Store and Noxx Dispensary in Grand Rapids.

“If there is a crime pattern very similar to last night’s crime pattern over a very short time frame, whether the same individual goes to each location or the same group, when they are connected automatically groups working together to carry out these crimes,” said Deputy Sheriff Chuck DeWitt. “It’s likely they’re all connected, but we don’t know for sure yet.”

No arrests have been made in these incidents and no injuries have been reported.

Most of the businesses that were broken into had their glass smashed by rocks. The owner of Five Star Window Coatings says that his window film is one of the best security measures for protecting glass.

“If someone has the tenacity, they’ll get through eventually. But most people, most criminals, don’t have much trouble breaking the window film,” says owner Randy Hutson says. “They knock it a few times to make sure it doesn’t break like a typical shard of glass, then turn around and walk away. So it’s a huge deterrent.”

Typically, when there have been numerous break-ins in a community, his company receives requests for estimates as business owners try to protect their property from being targeted in the future, he said.