Lawrenceville smoke shop target of smash-and-grab burglary

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A Gwinnett County smoke shop is out thousands of dollars of merchandise after a brazen smash and grab--and the whole crime was caught on camera.

Armed with what looks like bricks and rocks, crooks broke into "Smoke and Toke Smoke Shop" on New Hope Road in Lawrenceville Wednesday night.

"There are about five or six kids that break in," said Sheena Lynch, the store’s general manager. "They smash through the front door, and they're sliding over the counters, jumping over the counters, kicking in cases, knocking everything off the shelves, shoving stuff in book bags."

With the thieves inside the alarm was going off, but that did not seem to stop them as they stole thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.

Lynch said the thieves stole some of their more popular and expensive items.

"Being a smaller business, struggling after COVID happened and just trying to, you know, get back on our feet to have all our products stolen from us, it's just disheartening," she said.

Lynch said she believed at least two of the suspects cased the store before the smash and grab.

"They walked around, they were asked for their IDs which they didn't have," she said. "So, they were asked to leave, and they have on the exact same clothes as two of the kids that came in that night."

While police have not made any arrests yet, that could soon change. At least one of the suspects cut themselves during the break-in, leaving behind blood. Lynch said investigators took samples.

After this break-in, Lynch said the store has upgraded its security.

"We have reinforced our front and back entrances, we've updated our security cameras and our alarm systems, and we're just hoping that we don't have to use any of those safety precautions, that this doesn't continue to happen," Lynch said.

The store is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Staff members said they hope to get these suspects before they can strike somewhere else.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Gwinnett County Police Department.