CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Thieves have failed to put a damper on the Christmas spirit that’s continued to ring from inside the walls of Harper and Skyler’s Toys and Sweets.
Store owner Dan Weiss moved the business from New York to Charlotte roughly three years ago, and has experienced a handful of shoplifters before, but he has called the most recent hits at Park Road Shopping Center different than those.
“It’s frustrating, yes; it’s disheartening, yes,” he said of the crimes that occurred on Dec. 5 and again on Dec. 19.
Video camera footage obtained by Queen City News showed that on Dec. 5, a man left the store with three boxes of micro-scooters.
“I just got this feeling that something was up,” Weiss said of the encounter with the thief. “He was here for about 25 minutes, and I was watching him really well. He took the opportunity when I had my back turned… I didn’t follow because I don’t know if they had a weapon.”
Fast-forward two weeks later, when Weiss found himself in an eerily similar situation.
Security cameras showed that as Weiss helped a customer in the back of the store, two men filled their arms with several hundred dollars worth of merchandise and ran out of the store.
This time Wiess did follow them and got photos of them loading the items into a black Kia before speeding off.
“I just wanted them to be caught so they don’t do this to other stores,” Weiss explained about his mindset.
The cost of the two thefts appears to have been more than $1,000.
Harper and Skyler’s is one of the few locally owned toy stores in the city and is named after Weiss’ children.
As he spoke to Queen City News on Wednesday, 24 hours after the Tuesday theft, Weiss described his positive outlook on the situation.
“If the kids who are receiving what they stole don’t know the origins of where it’s coming from, and it makes their Christmas, then so be it,” he said.
That mindset has also spread to the community and customers who have supported the toy store for years.
QCN cameras captured multiple customers sharing their support for the business.
Early Tuesday morning, a young boy brought in his own toys to make up for the stolen merchandise.
“A 7-year-old saw what happened … he came in and brought in three of his puzzles that he had – used,” Weiss explained. “They were open and everything and he wanted to give it to us because we were out a couple of things, which was amazing.”
There have not been any announcements made on arrests in either situation or if they are connected.
Weiss said he has made changes to the store to help prevent future shoplifting situations.
