Oahu businesses struggle as smash-and-grab burglaries surge with more than 100 in past year

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Smash-and-grab thieves continue to terrorize Oahu businesses, with over 100 destructive break-ins in the last year. It’s a crime trend that seems to happen in ebbs and flows. Recently, law enforcement sources tell HNN Investigates there’s been another spike in activity.

Over the past two months, HNN Investigates has confirmed there have been at least 22 smash and grab burglaries island-wide.

Police say thieves are often escaping with stores’ cash registers.

Surveillance video shows how callous criminals can be causing thousand of dollars in damage in just seconds. Leaving businesses to shoulder the burden of replacing stolen merchandise and the cost of repairs.

HNN Investigates spoke to several of the business owners who’ve been hit over the last two months.

“I’m hurt about it. Because we’re a small local business,” said Leiann Young.

The owner of Aloha Smoke Shack said her shop was burglarized minutes after closing on Sept. 26.

“Just to replace a glass door is very costly,” she said.

A Kapolei restaurant owner who wanted to remain anonymous told us it cost her $1,200 to replace her shattered door.

“I wish they wouldn’t be doing this,” she said. “It’s hard for us business owners.”

Miguel Torres owns El Mariachi in Kapolei. His business was broken into on Oct. 4.

“He was in here for maybe a minute,” he said. “These guys, they know what they’re doing.”

Tracking the exact number of these brazen break-ins hasn’t been easy.

Despite it being a longstanding issue, HPD told us it still doesn’t have a “smash and grab” category, so data can be tracked and tallied.

Since Sept. 1, Honolulu police say there have been 31 burglaries involving restaurants and stores, saying “some incidents have involved the use of heavy objects being thrown through glass doors.”

With the help of law enforcement sources, HNN Investigates has confirmed at least 22 of those burglaries were smash and grabs.

In a recent press conference Major Brian Lynch said, “Businesses need to have alarms that work. And they need to have surveillance systems that work.”

He also advised against leaving things of value like tip jars out in plain sight, adding, in several of the cases currently under investigation, thieves have gotten away with cash registers.

“If you have a register, don’t leave it closed on the counter. Leave the drawer open. Take the drawer out. Or you can turn it upside down on the counter,” Lynch said. “So when you’re looking through the window in the store, you can see that there’s no money in the register.”

On Oct. 18, Honolulu police captured four suspects wanted in connection with six smash-and-grab burglaries that happened in Wahiawa the evening prior.

“The suspects are one adult male who’s 22 years old. And the other three males were juveniles — 15, 16 and 16,” Lynch said.

HNN Investigates confirmed 22-year-old Ricky Phan was charged with five counts of second-degree burglary and as well as a charge for operating a stolen vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to the crimes.

Phan remains in custody at Oahu Community Correctional Center. His bail is set at $500,000.

No information is available on the other three suspects because they’re juveniles.

While HPD said it believes they make up one of the main groups that have been targeting businesses Lynch added there are likely others still out there.

“I believe there is more than just one group,” he said.

Some other things you can do to protect your business include installing motion activated lighting and reinforcing windows with security glass or film. Some businesses are even installing rolling shutters to protect their windows and doors.

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