Lake County businesses plagued by smash-and-grab burglaries

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — In the past few months, Lake County businesses have reported at least 52 smash-and-grab burglaries and investigators said they believe they are connected to the same group of individuals.

To help combat the increase in burglaries, Lake County plans to work with law enforcement agencies across Central Florida in hopes of catching those responsible.

Hardest hit in Lake County is the city of Clermont, which has seen 35 smash-and-grab burglaries, including three earlier this week.

The burglars operate in a similar fashion, investigators said.

They break open a glass door or window, rush inside, grab what they can from the cash register and shelves and then quickly run away.

The entire process usually only takes about two minutes, officials said.

Surveillance cameras have captured video of some of the burglaries, which show the individuals wearing masks and driving stolen vehicles, police said.

In one instance, police in Lady Lake were able to find a group of suspects.

When officers tried to stop them in the stolen vehicle they were driving, they fled and the officers didn’t pursue them.

“Some of these situations may not be a chasing situation for us, according to our policy,” Clermont Police Department spokesman Malcolm Draper said.

Cox Media Group