Columbus police investigate burglaries at Littlewoods Mall
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police are investigating a series of burglaries at a shopping center.
Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said five businesses were broken into.
One store owner captured video of the suspected thieves on a security camera.
There were three individuals with bags in their hands along with their ropes approaching stores in the plaza.
Stephanie Studdard owns Bella Blue, one of the stores that was hit by the burglars.
“Something has got to be done to let these individuals who are taking from others know that it’s not going to be tolerated,” Studdard said. “They need to know that if they take somebody else’s property, they’re going to go to jail.”
Emma Newman is the owner of Garrett & Co.
“It’s just very hurtful to know that things can just be taken away from you in a matter of minutes when you’ve worked countless hours to make it happen,” Newman said.
Newman said the individuals stole several hundred dollars from her store.
Police said during the burglaries there were no alarms detected.
Daughtry said there are things residents and business owners can do to make it harder for burglars.
“It would help us and this is the educational component of law enforcement,” Daughtry said. “We need people to make sure that they are locking their doors in their vehicles but also when you are locking your business, make sure you set your alarm, if you have one.”
Daughtry said his department is already receiving some tips from the community.
“Now, we are able to get video footage and we are also able to use social media to get attention,” Daughtry said. “Some of these people are starting to call us and give us heads up and giving us information on who they believe these individuals are and we got to go through all that information.”
Daughtry said he plans to meet with business owners in Columbus to ensure safety and security.
