SUNRISE, Fla. – The owner of a cellphone kiosk at the Sawgrass Mills mall in Sunrise is hoping someone recognizes three crooks who were captured on surveillance video running off with nearly $3,000 worth of phones in plain sight.
"Once the employee put them over the counter, they just grabbed them and (ran) away," Luis Barrios, of Unlocked Phones and Repairs, said.
Barrios said he couldn't believe his eyes after reviewing surveillance video of the three thieves taking off with his merchandise.
"It's very scary, not only for us," he said. "Also for the customers."
Barrios said one of his employees was speaking with two young women and a young man at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday to sell them a few cellphones.
Surveillance video shows them leaving and coming back about 15 minutes later.
Barrios said they told his employee that their mom was going to buy them new iPhones before school started.
But the moment the employee turned her back on them, one of the women grabbed all three phones and they took off.
The employee chased after them, but couldn't catch up.
After checking the surveillance cameras, Barrios noticed the same three individuals had been casing out another one of his stores in the same mall.
This wasn't the first time Barrios has been targeted.
He said someone smashed out the back windshield of his car just a few weeks ago and got away with more than $20,000 worth of phones and accessories.
He said he worries that this trend could put him out of business.
"(I could) lose my business, my employees will lose their jobs and it's going to be a disaster for my family and their families," Barrios said.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.