Masked thieves hit hobby shops across Central Florida

Items stolen from Michael's RC Hobbies in Altamonte Springs

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Investigators are working to determine if a group of masked thieves are responsible for a string of recent break-ins at RC hobby stores in Central Florida.

The owner of Michael's RC Hobbies said Tuesday that three men stole more than $10,000 worth of merchandise after they broke in before sunrise.

"(The thieves) don't care," Michael Bruce said. "They just want to take whatever they can take and get out."

Bruce said the group went after high-dollar RC car kits. He believes the same people broke into his shop six days earlier.

"From watching the video, it's the same guys," Bruce said. "You watch the footage and you see them take (the merchandise) and they get spooked and leave."

Surveillance video showed a group pull up in a white SUV and use a tow hitch to rip the front door off the shop early Wednesday.

Over the next few days, Bruce said there was a break-in at a RC shop in Orlando and another at a similar store in Volusia County.

"(The culprits) are trying to get what they can off of people that are a little easier to grab," he said.

No arrests have been made and investigators haven't said if any of the burglaries are connected.

Bruce said he's installing additional security at his store as the break-ins remain under investigation.

Anyone who recognizes the men in the video is asked to call Altamonte Springs police.


About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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