The owners of a small, family-owned electronics store are dumbfounded after they say thieves smashed through the glass of their business and stole thousands of dollars worth of "hoverboards."
Daniel Feldman, owner of Sonrisas Electronics at 145 East Flagler Street in downtown Miami, tells NBC 6 that the burglary happened around 6:30 a.m. Saturday. Thieves broke the store's secure lock and smashed through the glass, making off with 25-30 of the two-wheeled devices.
"You'd think that this is a secure, safe spot. We've never heard of any break-ins," Feldman tells NBC 6. "We talked to previous business owners, and they say they've never seen this happen in the past 10 years that they've been working here."
The must-have holiday item retails around $500, meaning Feldman and his family are out nearly $10,000 to $15,000 due to the theft.
Feldman says the area is typically bustling with traffic and police, making the break-in even more surprising.
As the family cleans up from the burglary, they advise shoppers to be vigilant about stolen hoverboards this holiday season. Feldman says look out for hoverboards being sold in fake boxes, or out of the box. He also says anyone attempting to sell a hoverboard for only a few hundred dollars is likely selling a stolen one.
Feldman also adds that shoppers should make sure the box comes complete with a charger. "If you're buying a board without a charger in the box, it is probably stolen," he says.
Police are investigating, but have not yet identified a suspect in the burglary. Anyone with information is asked to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
