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St. Louis police on the lookout for masked smash-and-grab burglars

"I was so angry when I first heard about it. These crimes damage small business owners in many ways," said Kat Danner.

ST. LOUIS — "They were in and out of there within five minutes," Kat Danner said.

The stunning security video gave the general manager at the Sports Zone bar in south St. Louis chills.

"I was very angry because again I feel it's very disrespectful," Danner said.

Danner says three mask and glove-wearing burglars smashed two glass doors, stormed inside the business near Gravois and Neosho Street just after 3 a.m. Friday and immediately ransacked the bar.

"For someone to come in and hurt a family-owned business, it damages people. It's so uncalled for," Danner said.

She told police two of the young-looing thieves quickly grabbed, two heavy cash-filled safes from her offices.

One of the burglars even dropped a safe and damaged the bar's floor before the crooks sped off in a black sedan.

At least two of the smash-and-grabbers were armed with guns.

"They stole thousands from us," Danner said.

Police say just minutes before, the same burglars did not get any cash from Steve's Hot Dogs on South Grand. However, police say the money-hungry criminals shattered the front glass door and damaged cash registers at the restaurant that's been in business for a little over a year.

RELATED: Steve's Hot Dogs is latest in string of St. Louis smash-and-grabs

"We try to do a lot for the community and it's frustrating to have setbacks," said Joseph Zeable, the Chef at Steve's Hot Dogs.

Police say it appears the burglars then committed similar crimes at the Exotic Hookah Bar on south Cherokee Street.

A police source tells 5 On Your Side the same trio also hit the Start Bar downtown.

The good news is that nobody was hurt because the businesses were closed at the time.

A police spokesperson tells 5 On Your Side they are now "reviewing and considering adjusting their patrol hours" in the neighborhoods where the smash and grabs occurred.

Meanwhile, business owners and managers just want the thieves off the streets before they strike again.

"We do have a good surveillance photo of one of them, so hopefully it pays off. I would tell them to go get a job. Everybody's hiring in the area. There's no need to damage somebody's hard work," Kat Danner said.

 

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