Photo: FLLewis / Media City G — Rocket Fizz 3524 West Magnolia Blvd. Burbank November 8, 2017
More Magnolia Park businesses fall victim to crime. The list keeps growing. The latest, Rocket Fizz and T-Mobile. Both break-ins occurred last weekend.
The soda pop and candy shop at 3524 West Magnolia Blvd. was targeted by a theft on November 3, between 9:30 pm and 7:30 am. “A suspect smashed the store’s front window. The suspect then entered the store and stole a cash register drawer containing cash. The cash drawer was found a short distance away from the store, but the money was missing. ” according to Sergeant Derek Green, Burbank Police PIO.
Photo: FLLewis / Media City G — T-Mobile 3816 West Magnolia Blvd. Burbank
T-Mobile 3816 West Magnolia Blvd. was burglarized on Saturday, November 4, at 3:46 am. Again, the crime began with the suspect smashing the front window. Sgt. Green says, “The suspect then entered the store and stole three cash register drawers which contained cash. No phones were reported stolen… It is almost certain that these two crimes are related and were committed by the same suspect.”
Photo: FLLewis / Media City G — Handy Market 2514 West Magnolia Blvd. Burbank
Recently, Handy Market 2514 West Magnolia Blvd> had its front door boarded up after a “smash and grab” burglary. Sgt. Green explained in an email: “This occurred on September 30, 2017 at about 3:40 A.M. A suspect shattered the front glass entrance door, entered the store, and stole cartons of cigarettes and bottles of alcohol. The suspect was captured on surveillance footage and was described as an African American man wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black gloves, black boots, with a black and white scarf tied around his face. Only one suspect was seen and no money was taken.” However, investigators did find a crowbar near the scene.
Over the past few months, Magnolia Park has been the scene of numerous burglaries, robberies, and break-ins. No wonder some merchants in the district feel like it’s a crime wave. Sgt. Green understands why: “It certainly seems as though Magnolia Park has been a target for thieves lately. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this trend not only in the Magnolia Park area, but citywide in our various merchant districts.”
Burbank Police encourages businesses to take extra measures to protect their stores. Sgt. Green says the BPD suggests “… using crime deterrent mechanisms (e.g., video surveillance and alarm systems) and traditional methods to thwart criminal activity (adequate lighting, heavy duty locks, keeping clear visibility from the street, etc.). We also want to remind businesses not to leave cash inside registers overnight or during non-business hours. Hardening the target and minimizing the appeal are both critical in preventing theft.”
