LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three businesses on the Northshore were targeted early Saturday morning in a series of break-ins and vandalisms.
The New Marina Market, located at 3657 E. Highway 20, and Tower Mart, at 3444 E. Highway 20, both in Nice, and the Hi-Way Grocery in Upper Lake suffered smashed windows and, in two of the stores' cases, burglaries after 3 a.m. Saturday.
Hi-Way Grocery owner Pat Lynch said sheriff's deputies he spoke to indicated that they believe it's the same suspect involved in all three incidents.
At the Tower Mart, which was hit right around 3:25 a.m. Saturday, Zarif Sadiq, whose father has owned the store since 2009, said their two front glass doors were broken out, along with six of the store's front windows.
“With us they didn't take anything,” Sadiq said, adding that the suspect didn't come inside.
“This is a first,” said Sadiq, explaining they haven't had such an incident at the store before.
New Marina Market owner Jag Singh said the glass in his front door was broken at around 3:30 a.m.
“Here he got only two beers,” Singh said of the suspect.
Down at Upper Lake's Hi-Way Grocery, the suspect took more items, but Lynch pointed out, “I got the least of the damage.”
He said one window was broken out. “It was a smash and grab.”
The suspect was in Lynch's store for approximately 41 seconds, based on the surveillance video.
He said the suspect had apparently been to the store before, since he went right to certain items.
Lynch said the video showed the suspect going first to get a half gallon of ice cream and then, seemingly as an afterthought, he picked up a 12 pack of beer.
“It makes no sense unless he was going to have Bud floats,” quipped Lynch.
The suspect also ran right up to the magazine stand where Lynch keeps copies of Playboy, and took a copy.
Lynch provided surveillance video to sheriff's deputies, who he said indicated they had leads on the suspect's identity.
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