PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Smoke shops in the Phoenix area are concerned about the rising rates of smash-and-grabs. <\/p>\n
Recently, three suspects are facing multiple felony charges in connection with a series of smoke shop break-ins<\/a> across the Valley.<\/p>\n Surveillance video from one of the stores targeted shows one of the suspects breaking the front window before three people rush into the store, one carrying a bin. The suspects took products off the shelves and headed to the back of the store, filling up the bin before leaving through the broken front door with stolen goods in less than two minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen one of the detectives saw the footage, he recognized the individuals and the vehicle, and kind of the way they moved, the quickness of it, the smash through the door, throwing in the bin,\u201d said Toke N\u2019 Smoke<\/a> Co-owner Erika James.<\/p>\n Court documents say that after some of the break-ins, the suspects would travel to Las Vegas and California. During a prior arrest following different smoke shop burglaries, some of the suspects were found in possession of cash and a pawn receipt.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce criminal channels like that are identified, then they continue to be active until police shut them down,\u201d said Security Consultant Karl de la Guerra.<\/p>\n In many of the recent burglaries, it was reported that vapes and cigarettes were the main items taken. Karl de la Guerra says reselling vapes, which are small in size and can be hard to trace, on social media or the street makes those products attractive to criminals.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, clearly, criminals have found an out-of-the-area market for these products to be able to steal them and then resell them in other areas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Shop owners, like James, have noticed the troubling trend.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are on alert as far as making sure there aren\u2019t any people hanging around outside in the front or the back, like loitering, and maybe scoping the place out. So, that\u2019s kind of got us on more of a high alert in that sense,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here<\/a> with a brief description.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 KTVK\/KPHO. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n