FAST FACTS:
(Memphis, 12/23/09) "When I saw the police calling on my phone, I knew that's what it was."
Wiles -Smith drug store owner Charlie Smith is no stranger to late night phone calls. "At first I didn't think there was much to it and then I saw the hole in the kitchen, before they had come through back here," said Smith.
Smith says around 12:45 am police responded to a silent alarm coming from his store and reports from neighbors who heard loud noises. Police got there to find this hole in the back of the drug store. Smith believes someone backed into the wall and then used tools to break through this wall.
"Good Christmas present," he added.
Smith says he has owned this store since 1967. In 42 years the store has been broken into 5 times. Three of those break-ins happened in just this year. Twice back in June when criminals broke through the walls in the back of the store. They stole thousands of dollars of narcotics and other pills.
Since then smith has upgraded his security. This morning the criminals got away with nothing. But the thieves did leave thousands of dollars in damages. This new hole in the wall here is just feet away from where the thieves tried; smith says this might be too much for him to take.
"I've got really good customers. I've got three generations of some families that have been with me, it's making me thinking a lot more that I'm going to get out of it in a year or so. Maybe sooner if they keep this up," said Smith.
Smith says he was dropped by his insurance after this year's first break in. His new policy still hasn't paid him for the second break in. He says it's all wearing on him.
"I'm just getting too old I really am," he added.
Smith did open his doors for business today. He says police told him believe they arrested the suspects from the two June burglaries after another crime. However they were not charged with the crime.
- Brick and mortar ripped from the walls of a midtown pharmacyÂ…it's the third break-in in the past several months
- And it has one business owner contemplating shutting his doors.
- Wiles-Smith pharmacy is on Union in Midtown.
(Memphis, 12/23/09) "When I saw the police calling on my phone, I knew that's what it was."
Wiles -Smith drug store owner Charlie Smith is no stranger to late night phone calls. "At first I didn't think there was much to it and then I saw the hole in the kitchen, before they had come through back here," said Smith.
Smith says around 12:45 am police responded to a silent alarm coming from his store and reports from neighbors who heard loud noises. Police got there to find this hole in the back of the drug store. Smith believes someone backed into the wall and then used tools to break through this wall.
"Good Christmas present," he added.
Smith says he has owned this store since 1967. In 42 years the store has been broken into 5 times. Three of those break-ins happened in just this year. Twice back in June when criminals broke through the walls in the back of the store. They stole thousands of dollars of narcotics and other pills.
Since then smith has upgraded his security. This morning the criminals got away with nothing. But the thieves did leave thousands of dollars in damages. This new hole in the wall here is just feet away from where the thieves tried; smith says this might be too much for him to take.
"I've got really good customers. I've got three generations of some families that have been with me, it's making me thinking a lot more that I'm going to get out of it in a year or so. Maybe sooner if they keep this up," said Smith.
Smith says he was dropped by his insurance after this year's first break in. His new policy still hasn't paid him for the second break in. He says it's all wearing on him.
"I'm just getting too old I really am," he added.
Smith did open his doors for business today. He says police told him believe they arrested the suspects from the two June burglaries after another crime. However they were not charged with the crime.
