ATLANTA — Business owners say destructive smash and grab burglaries are costing them thousands of dollars.

The manager of the Brewhouse café in Little 5 Points told Channel 2′s Justin Carter that someone stole 15 bottles of expensive tequila last week – and it was all caught on camera.

Police say the robber used a brick or hard object to shatter a large window and make his way inside.

“We’ve been open 25 years and this year this is only time we’ve been broken into,” Brewhouse Café manager Sharron Cooper said.

Cooper said it’s happened twice in six months.

The latest incident was Thursday around 4 a.m. when security cameras captured a man wearing a white tank top and hat.

“The guy, he threw a massive rock through the window, climbed through the window, went straight to the bar, took bottles of liquor, put them all in his bag, climbed back out the window and ran down the street,” Cooper said.

She said the man stole several bottles of tequila, whiskey and vodka.

“Maybe he cased the joint before, I don’t know. But it’s gotten pretty bad,” Cooper said.

Patrice Hull would know the feeling. Her clothing store across the street was hit in 2020.

“When they broke into my store, it cost me $1,000 to fix a window. But they only took about $80 or $90 worth of merchandise. That is unbearable,” Hull said.

Kelly Stocks is president of the Little 5 Points Business Association.

She said security guards are too expensive and Atlanta police are trying their best to patrol, but it’s not enough.

“I know they have people in training, but it’s not enough to go around,” Stocks said. “My family has owned property here since 1968 and I’ve never seen crime like this.”

Managers at Brewhouse Cafe said it costs about $1,500 to repair just one window. They can’t afford to continue to replace them.

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