New Jersey police search for suspect in string of smash-and-grab robberies

BERGEN COUNTY (WABC) -- Police in New Jersey are looking for a robber dubbed the smash-and-grab bandit due to his speed and ability to hit multiple businesses in short periods of time.

Authorities believe the suspect and his accomplices have struck across multiple towns in and around Bergen County.

A surveillance camera at a Lukoil gas station in Wyckoff captured him in action, and he was in and out in less than two minutes.

"They broke in the door glass," employee Ozzy Seker said. "Right away, they jumped over the counter, took the bottom of the register and they pulled it out, and they took the register. And the car was waiting for them."

The same night, in similar fashion, the Park Deli in Midland Park was burglarized, with the suspect again smashing the glass door to avoid opening the door and tripping a sensor.

"So if somebody breaks the door, then the alarm will go on right away," worker Ronak Patel said. "But they broke the window, so the motion detector has to now detect the person, and that never detected a person. And that , but did not.

The suspects took money from the already-open register.

"We leave it open so if something happens, they don't steal our register," Patel said. "So that was the whole reason why we leave the register open."

Then, at some point before 3:30 a.m., which is when the first employee arrives at Sunrise Bagels up the street in Wyckoff, its glass door was smashed. The register there, containing a few hundred dollars, was stolen.

"I'm more worried about if my employee walks in and they were still there," owner Sam Aggarwal said. "You know, if he gets hurt."

Luckily, no one was injured.

Police say 15 smash-and-grab robberies have happened in Bergen County over a month's time, and police are trying to see if they all are connected. In the meantime, security at the three businesses has been upgraded.

Police are asking anyone with information to call authorities.