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Thieves break into store, steal cigarettes
By BRADY DENNIS © St. Petersburg Times, published March 22, 2001 DADE CITY -- Chalk up another burglary to the cigarette bandits. Linda Reidy, owner of Pat's Food Mart, 16135 U.S. 301, told Pasco County sheriff's deputies she arrived at work Tuesday morning to find her glass front door shattered by a patio stone. She went inside and found $550 worth of cigarettes missing. A $10 tan trash can was the only other thing stolen from the store. The break-in came just four hours after thieves had thrown a rock through the window of nearby A.J.'s Food Warehouse, 14821 7th St. in Dade City, and stolen roughly 20 cartons of cigarettes. It was the fifth break-in at the store this year. In every burglary except one, the suspects have thrown a rock through a widow to gain entry. Once inside, they have stolen cigarettes, mostly Kools and Newports. Police officials have said they believe each of the incidents is related. In the thefts at A.J.'s, surveillance photos have been little help because the suspects wore masks and gloves, said Dade City police Capt. Linda Fox. Unlike the other incidents, however, deputies at least have a witness from the incident at Pat's Food Mart. A Dade City man said he was driving north on U.S. 301 when he heard the store alarm going off. He said he saw a man near the front of the business running south on 14th Street. The witness told deputies the man was about 5 feet 10 inches tall, medium build and wearing dark clothing. Reidy also had surveillance tape from the incident, but deputies had not yet reviewed it because of problems with a VCR, a report stated. Reidy refused to comment Wednesday about the burglary.
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