A group of serial burglars remains at large after eight businesses were smashed into throughout the Santa Clarita Valley early Wednesday morning.
The burglary spree took place within a two-hour span, with security cameras capturing the destructive break-ins. One video shows a masked suspect smashing the glass front door of Robek’s Fresh Juices & Smoothies on The Old Road in Valencia.
Meanwhile, three or four other suspects are targeting the neighboring businesses in the Westridge Village Shopping Center including a Starbucks, Panda Express and Sport Clips.
Deputies believe the burglars are the same ones who drove about seven miles from the Westridge center to another plaza on Soledad Canyon Road where four other businesses were also burglarized.
Those shops included Little Caesars Pizza, See’s Candies, Carriage Trade Cleaners and Bonsai Garden Sushi.
“About four to five guys in hoodies, they came in and they went to the register,” said Lily Tanner, the area manager of Sports Clips. “It was a group of them, in and out very fast.”
Tanner said this is the first time they’ve been burglarized since the salon opened 15 years ago.
Police said the thieves got away with less than $500 in cash as most of the stores did not carry any money in the registers.
“They definitely tried to take the registers,” said Richard Gonzalez, the manager of Robeks. “But they were all empty so I don’t know what they’re trying to go for but they didn’t really get out with anything.”
Residents in the area were a bit shaken by the break-ins taking place in an otherwise safe neighborhood.
“Even though Santa Clarita is pretty big, it still feels like a smaller community and a safe community,” said Kelly Mehr, a local resident. “But when you see this, that’s very upsetting.”
Despite the suspects appearing masked and covered, deputies said they have a very clear description of the two getaway vehicles involved. Anyone with information can call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at 661-260-4000.