ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A local business is suffering after thieves broke in and made off with nearly $200,000 worth of products.
Employees at Rainbow Shades on State Road 312 in St. Augustine discovered the burglary Friday morning.
Just minutes after the intruders drilled a hole through the roof, a security camera captured one thief dropping into the back room of Rainbow Shades. He was then seen looking around with a flashlight, then minutes later a second man made his way down a ladder, and then the camera shut off.
About 12 hours later, employees arrived in shock.
"I came to the store and just noticed that all the Ray Bans, all the Costas, all the Maui Jims, all the fashion brands, pretty much everything was completely wiped out," said store owner Tyler Fitz.
About 1,000 pairs of sunglasses worth nearly $200,000 were stolen.
"Words can't really describe how the feeling is because it's -- I'm still kind of in the shock to be honest with you," said Fitz.
Crime scene techs with the Sheriff's Office were at the scene for hours Friday afternoon, dusting for fingerprints and looking through what the thieves didn't take.
"Oh, for sure. It's definitely frustrating, especially for us, you know, we're a small business. Everything we've done, we've put our blood, sweat and tears into this business," Fitz said.
Last month police said a burglary happened at a Rainbow Shades location at St. Augustine Outlets. Police said a couple distracted a store clerk, then stole a pair of Tom Ford glasses worth about $700.
The company hopes that if someone knows who the two men in the latest burglary are they will step up, because it is now dealing with a major setback.
"It's definitely a huge, huge burden, and we know we love all our local support and we hope everyone continues to support us," said Fitz.
Both men were wearing masks, but they do appear to be about average height and weight. News4Jax was told they heard the men speaking Spanish on the surveillance video.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
