"Bubblegum Bandit" Strikes Again; Police Release Video
Posted: 4:44 pm EST January 5, 2006Updated: 5:40 pm EST January 5, 2006
MELBOURNE, Fla. -- The so-called "Bubblegum Bandit" has struck again. Late Wednesday night, he burglarized a preschool in Brevard County and, it appeared, for the 16th time the target was a candy dispenser.Police were stunned to hear the preschool was hit. A fence was cut, a window back was carefully removed, all to get to a candy machine inside. He was able to get away, but police have now uncovered video that shows the thief knows what he’s doing and knows exactly what he's after.The video shows the Bubblegum Bandit in action, carefully removing the window pane at a Hollywood Video store in Melbourne and then crawling on his knees to his target, the store’s gumball machine.
"We think he did that to avoid setting off some kind of sensor or something," said Angela Bozorth, Melbourne Police Department.Police believe the man wore white gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints and a hood to hide his face. He spent little time in the store, using a fist to break the bubblegum machine and steal what little change was inside.In this case, he escaped without taking the machine or anything else."It looks like he spent more time removing the pane of glass, it looked like, and getting into the building, then he did once he was inside the business," Bozorth said.Police said he has done virtually the same thing to more than a dozen other businesses since the beginning of December.Authorities said his latest burglary was Apollo Preschool."I don't know what people would want with a pre-school. I mean, it's for children. I mean, parents bring their children here for safety. Why they would break into a preschool, i have no idea," said Kathy Rommell, Apollo Preschool.There, he cut a fence, pulled out a window, cut off the telephone, power and alarm systems, and trashed the place. He also left behind his calling card, a smashed up candy vending machine.Police said they have never seen anything like this. They don't know what his motive is, if he is dangerous, or where or when he might strike again.He did also steal a DVD player from the school and lunch meat. Police said it appeared he also fixed himself an English muffin before he took off.Police said they do have some leads they are following, which they wouldn't reveal.
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