LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thousands of dollars in damage was caused and items were stolen within seconds by thieves who broke into a Louisville Vapor Lab.
Just before 5 a.m. Saturday, three people broke into the Vapor Lab in the Central Station Shopping Center. They smashed the door and display case and within a minute ran out with items.
"Glass, damage, cinderblock sitting on the floor, a broken display case and a lot of products missing," Ryan Burkhead said.
The store's owners said $1,600 worth of product was stolen and a few thousand more in damage was caused. Brothers Ryan and Evan Burkhead have seven cameras total inside Vapor Lab.
Footage from July 1, 2023 when three people burglarized Vapor Lab in Central Station. (Vapor Lab photo)
Those cameras record audio, which the Burkheads believe could help their case. Some of the video has been blurred because they appear to be minors.
"It was actually jarring because immediately you could tell these are just kids, and it just makes you think about what are we doing in society, like, how are kids capable of doing something like this," Ryan Burkhead said. "It's just sad."
Surveillance video from the day before shows the same kids walking into the store. One wore the same outfit and another had on the same shoes and pants.
They were turned away because they were too young to be in the store, which is a policy the Burkheads have had for years.
"It's frustrating, because we really do take every measure possible,"Â Ryan Burkhead said. "We always check IDs before any sale, and it's just when they're stolen we lose all control over that situation."
"It's hard enough to keep these products out of the hands of children, and when people come in and steal them, we know that these are gonna go right into the hands of children," Evan Burkhead said. "That's what bothers me, keeps me up."
Louisville Metro Police said officers with its Fourth Division are investigating, but no one has been identified or arrested.
The Burkheads suggest other businesses keep their lights on to improve camera quality and make sure your registers are open and empty.
If you know anything, call police. Vapor Lab can be contacted on Facebook or by phone at 502-205-5004.Â
Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling the LMPD Crime Tip Line at (502) 574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted online through the Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.
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