TARPON SPRINGS - Kristie Gates could see something was wrong early Wednesday morning as soon as she came into work as head cashier at Winn-Dixie, 955 S Pinellas Ave.
Overnight someone had used a large brick to smash through the front door. Inside, the thief or thieves had grabbed more than 150 cartons of cigarettes of all different brands. The value of the merchandise was more than $4,900. Nothing else was stolen, said Tarpon Springs police Sgt. Jeffrey Young on Thursday.
Police had no suspects, and Young said that police would consider whether there might be a connection to a June 9 smash-and-grab cigarette theft at a convenience store east of Tampa in which two men used a sport utility vehicle to crash through the front of the store.
Anyone with information about the Tarpon Springs theft is asked to call detectives at (727) 938-2840.
