JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says it is investigating a string of GameStop burglaries on the Westside. The GameStop stores on 103rd Street, Normandy Boulevard and Applecross Road have similar damages. Huge wood panels cover the front of each store where there used to be glass.
A video posted on Facebook caught a Dec. 30 'smash-and-grab' at the store on 103rd Street. A vehicle is seen driving through the entrance of the store before multiple people go inside and leave with what looks like merchandise.
"That is a 5, you got one five," a bystander can be heard saying in the video. "They are locked in the back, they are literally locked in the back."
Two vehicles eventually drive off at the end of the video.
The front glass window of the GameStop store on 103rd Street is shattered. JSO says GameStop stores on Normandy Boulevard and Applecross Road were also burglarized. It is not known if the burglaries are connected.
First Coast News' Crime and Safety Expert Mark Baughman says GameStop has had stores targeted across the country. A popular item on the shelf is the PlayStation 5.
"You're talking about a small store that sells nothing but gaming equipment that you can easily get in and out of," Baughman said. "It's not like a Best Buy, it's not like a Walmart. Pretty much all of them have that big glass viewing area. They are in smaller type strip malls, they're accessible."
Brosnan Security patrols the shopping center where GameStop is on 103rd Street during the day. A security guard told First Coast News no one was on duty when the burglary happened, but there were several other cameras around the parking lot. Baughman says it is not unusual to see crimes like this occur after the holidays.
"It was also kind of clear that maybe they even knew or did some pre-surveillance themselves on the location, knowing that the guard service wasn't going to be there," Baughman said.
JSO says the three GameStop break-ins are all under investigation, as no arrests have been made.