Pair of smash and grab burglaries result in six-figure loss

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Gotta catch ‘em all. That’s now the mission for law enforcement, who are searching for suspects they believe smashed and grabbed thousands of dollars worth of items from local card stores, including high-end pokemon cards.

The Panama City Police department responded to an alarm at the “Comic Emporium” on Highway 231 at 2 a.m. Thursday. Officers say they found broken glass doors, shattered display cases, and missing memorabilia. Detectives tell us they are searching for four black males, who were seen on surveillance video.

According to the owners of the Comic Emporium, the damages and loss of merchandise are worth more than six figures.

“I’m gonna be honest, it was shocking. When you come to the store - or any of these local small businesses - that’s your home, that’s your home away from home, it’s your clubhouse, that’s your place where you go to feel something besides work and stress. And for somebody to violate that, that’s awful,” said Alex Ray, son of the owner of Comic Emporium.

An hour after the burglary in Panama City, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded to another burglary at PCB Coins and Cards. Deputies say that store video shows two male suspects smashing in the front door, wearing masks and gloves. According to the BCSO, one suspect was wearing a black and red flannel shirt, light jeans, and white Nike shoes. BCSO tells us the other was wearing a light-colored long-sleeve shirt or sweater, and a mask with a light attached.

The store owner tells us they spent only 45 seconds in his business, walking away with around ten-thousand dollars worth of coins, memorabilia, and rare pokemon cards.

“We’re not in fear of anything,” said Todd Mueller, a co-owner of PCB Coins and Cards. “Thank god it was at night, that’s typically how these things run. They’re not going to sit there and scare us into anything whatsoever. We’re just happy that it didn’t happen during the day, and that nobody got hurt. Stuff can be replaced...”

The BCSO says they believe both of these cases are connected. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Panama City Police Department at 850-872-3100 or the Bay County Sheriff’s Office at 850-747-4700.