Store Window Smashed, $375 Taken, $2,000 in Damage Done in Overnight Burglary

An overnight smash-and-grab burglary to a store in downtown Noroton resulted in $375 being taken by a thief who caused an estimated $2,000 in damage done after throwing a rock through a front window to get in, police said.

The burglary, which happened at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday at Frate’s Wines & Liquors store at 1937 Post Road, is similar to store burglaries for the past month or so in Stamford, where store windows were broken, police said.

Police gave this account of the incident:

According to a video surveillance recording, at 3:33 a.m. a mid-sized vehicle pulled up on the east side of the building and soon after that the window was smashed, the suspect entered the store and within seconds got to the cash register.

The suspect removed the cash drawer, which the store owner said contained exactly $375, and left the scene. Nothing else was taken. Liquor bottles were also smashed in the incident. A large rock was left inside the store.

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The suspect appears to be a white, heavy-set male wearing a skull cap, gloves, a light-colored jacket and jeans.

The burglary wasn’t noticed until about 7 a.m., when the owner of another business in the area saw the smashed window. Police were called at 7:39 a.m. No other burglaries were found in the area.

Recent Smash-and-Grab Incidents in Stamford and Darien

According to a report in the Stamford Advocate, a smash-and-grab burglar broke into several stores on High Ridge Road early in the morning of Nov. 22 and then later broke into more stores later.

Stamford police recently released a surveillance video showing a burglar. By one recent count, nine businesses were victimized, in all.

A different kind of forced entry was made recently to a home on Saturday, Dec. 10. In that case, the suspect smashed an outdoor meter, cutting off electricity to the house, then kicked in the front door, police said. That crime is still being investigated.

Update: The Advocate on Monday reported on more smash-and-grab burglaries early Saturday at businesses on Cove Road in the Cove section of Stamford, not  far from Darien.

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