A Denton convenience store is the latest business hit in a string of cigarette robberies that spans the Metroplex, police say.
Two men stole several cartons of cigarettes from the Murphy USA store on South Loop 288 on July 4. Police believe the same men are responsible for similar break-ins in Arlington and other North Texas cities.
Denton police said a gray Jeep Compass pulled up to gas pump at about 2 a.m. One man got out and acted like he was pumping gas. The other man approached the attendant's booth, which was closed, and threw something at the window, causing it to shatter. He then climbed in and stole several cartons of cigarettes.
"It's one that they can actually take off and sell on the black market," police spokesman Officer Ryan Grelle said. "It's something quick and something real easy to get rid of quick."
Both men and their vehicle were captured on surveillance cameras, including a very clear image of the man who climbed into the attendant's window.
Police described him as a tall black man with a thin build, a thin goatee and a large tattoo on his right forearm that appears to spell something. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans and a Dallas Mavericks hat.
Grelle said it may be the clearest footage of the two men that has been captured.
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"They've hit multiple, multiple agencies," he said.
On the day before the Denton break-in, NBC 5 reported on a string of burglaries at CVS pharmacies in and around Arlington. In those cases, two men matching the description of the Denton robbers broke in through windows after hours and stole cartons of cigarettes.
"Not only have they struck Arlington eight times, they've also struck our neighboring cities, including Mansfield, recently," Arlington police Sgt. Christopher Cook said.
Cook said the men will likely continue to strike because they are getting comfortable with the crime, but said he believes it's just a matter of time before they slip up.
Grelle is asking anyone who can identify either man to please contact Denton police or their local agency right away.
