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Surveillance videos from two stores show the apparent burglar acting in a similar way, and the store owners report similar items were taken.
GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla — Comic and gaming stores from Green Cove Springs to Jacksonville are on high alert Tuesday after at least three different store owners described the same type of break-ins in the last week and a half.
Surveillance videos from two stores show the apparent burglar acting in a similar way and the store owners report similar items were taken.
Last week, First Coast News interviewed the owner of Mythical Mountain in Mandarin, whose surveillance video from last Tuesday caught a person crouched at the front of their store then walk directly to the part of the store with the highest-valued items, graded comic books.
Mythical Mountain Owner Kathy Dellaire said the burglar was, “in and out of here in under a minute.”
Surveillance video from Cowabunga Comics and Collectibles in Green Cove Springs on Monday also shows a person appear to crouch at the front of the store then go straight to specific parts of it once inside. The store’s owner said the lock was broken and graded comic books were stolen.
“It’s violating,” said Beth Baxter, owner of Cowabunga. “We’re pretty angry. Fortunately, the comic book community is very tight-knit and so we’ve been able to get the word out. We have scans of some of the more unique items that were stolen.”
It’s a similar story at Counterspell Games in Orange Park. Manager Nick Grenup said someone broke in Monday and stole specific items.
“We don’t do this because it’s a huge money venture,” Grenup said. “No, we like the community, we like the customers, we like interacting with people. So I think for the most part, most of the community members are kind of on the ‘up’ trying to pay attention trying to see if they see anything out of the ordinary.”
The owner of Erkz Card Bazaar in Orange Park said someone attempted to break into his store last week. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office confirms they responded to the store December 29.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says its investigations are active and advises business owners to use alarm systems, security cameras, and lighting and to provide added protection for valuable items.
“At the end of the day, these kinds of businesses are very community driven so it sucks for the community to have this stuff happen to them,” Grenup said. “At the end of the day, more worried than, what we lost is whatever, is hoping it doesn’t happen to someone else.”
People who may know anything about these cases are encouraged to call law enforcement.