A store owner in Fort Worth, Texas, shared surveillance footage of suspects rifling through boxes of expensive sneakers, but they ended up leaving confused.
Chad Steward owns Laced Connection and has worked hard to keep his shop secure, Fox 4 reported Monday.
However, when the suspects were unable to get into a rear window on Friday they got inside through a door.
“It was two double padlocks. They had to of taken a crowbar,” Steward explained. The suspects’ movements were limited to one room because the sales floor was blocked by a steel gate.
On Sunday, Steward posted a clip, writing, “I am not sharing this to gain compassion or anything of that sort, I would like it be seen as many times as possible.”
The suspects soon learned not one of the boxes held a full pair of shoes as a security tactic. Now, Steward is offering a $1,000 reward for information regarding the incident.
“It’s my worst nightmare as a shoe store owner. I’ve watched the video of it happening hundreds of times in the last couple days just trying to piece everything together and just try to make sense of it. It’s hard to, honestly,” he told WFAA.
His social media followers expressed their sadness over the incident, one person writing, “Nooooooooo I am so sorry!! And they’re clearly looking for specific sizes.”
“That is awful! I am SO sorry that you are having to deal with this horrible situation!” another commented.
Despite Steward’s security efforts, the suspects allegedly fled with thousands of dollars in merchandise and also damaged the shop.
“I 100% want them to go to jail. It’s not right,” he noted.
Meanwhile, soaring crime across President Joe Biden’s (D) America is one of the main issues for voters looking toward the midterm elections, a Rasmussen Reports poll found in August.