MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A business in Myrtle Beach says a shoplifter stole hundreds of dollars from them over the weekend — and they have video proof.
The store, Monkey LaLa Minerals, is located along Howard Avenue East in The Market Common. The owners said they noticed at least five items missing after closing up on Saturday.
Some items was $50, one was more than $100, but the biggest item stolen weighed five pounds and cost more than $300.
“I was looking around and went, ‘wait a minute, this doesn’t look right. There was something there,'” co-owner Rebecca Myers said.
Myers said she called Myrtle Beach police to file a report on Sunday after items had been shifted around.
“And that’s when the realization was, oh my goodness, somebody stole it,” she said.
Video captures all
Luckily, though, Myers said they have surveillance cameras that captured it.
“He was just a, you know, normal older-looking man wearing shorts and a plaid shirt,” she said. “And you wouldn’t think he would fit crystals in his pockets.”
Myers said she remembered seeing the man come into the store. He wasn’t carrying anything with him, and she said he was inside for less than five minutes.
“He loaded his pants pockets up. He even, we have him on video taking a wallet or something out of one pocket,” Myers said. “And it looked like once he realized, ‘OK, I’m going to hit this store,’ he made some room.”
Myers said she was too busy helping customers at the register to notice the man stuffing his pockets. She said they’ve been in business since 2019 and have never experienced such an expensive burglary before.
She said this affects them greatly because it’s personal theft from their bank accounts.
“He didn’t care,” Myers said. “So, yeah, I don’t think this was his first time. I think he knows exactly what he’s doing, unfortunately.”
Myers said it’s hard to replace their pieces because the same crystals aren’t always available at the gem shows they attend to buy their inventory, and the next one isn’t until May.
In Myers’ words, each crystal is “unique.”
She said she’s thankful to be a business owner in such a beautiful area, but that she’ll take necessary precautions if needed.
The Myrtle Beach Police Department said the case is still an active investigation.
