APTOS – Surveillance video shows two suspects burglarized an Aptos business in broad daylight.
"I was just flabbergasted that this happened at 10:30 in the morning on Saturday morning, broad daylight," said Pamela Whittington, business owner of Vapor Cleaners. "It was in front of everybody. It seemed like it was planned."
She showed Central Coast News how two suspects burglarized her business.
The first suspect nonchalantly walks into the Laundromat, checks it out, then leaves.
"He gets his car to park at the back door, because that's closer," she said.
That's when his buddy walks in and scopes the place out.
He appears to be keeping tabs on the employees in the other room, and using his phone to communicate with someone.
All the while, the employees are unaware of what's going on.
He even stretches at one point, just hanging out.
"There is no limit. What we think how these things happen aren't the norm anymore. It doesn't matter if it's Saturday morning, the time to go out with family to enjoy yourselves in the sunshine," Whittington said.
Then suspect number one comes back in.
Within minutes, he breaks inside of a coin machine, rips out all of the cords, and gets away with hundreds of dollars.
"What do you do when you've spent all the time and money putting the surveillance systems and hiring outside security guards, and things like that, and none of that is working and you want to protect your employees?" Whittington said.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies said while commercial burglaries are increasing in the county, rarely do they ever hear about this bold of a job in broad daylight, while the business is open.
Whittington said she's having surveillance cameras installed on the business's roof to ward off burglars in the future.
